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Credit agreement and long-term debt (Details) (USD $)
0 Months Ended
Apr. 02, 2014
May 02, 2014
May 05, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Credit agreement          
Number of financial institutions 9he_NumberOfFinancialInstitutions        
Actual capitalization ratio (as a percent)       14.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantNonconsolidatedCapitalizationRatioActual  
Ratio of consolidated subsidiary debt to total consolidated capitalization required to be maintained as per the debt covenant (as a percent) 65.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantConsolidatedSubsidiaryDebtToTotalConsolidatedCapitalizationRatio        
Ratio of consolidated capitalization required to be maintained as per the debt covenant (as a percent) 35.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantConsolidatedDebtToTotalConsolidatedCapitalizationRatio        
Actual ratio of consolidated debt to total consolidated capitalization (as a percent)       57.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantConsolidatedDebtToTotalConsolidatedCapitalizationRatioActual  
Maximum          
Credit agreement          
Capitalization ratio required to be maintained as per the debt covenant (as a percent) 50.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantNonconsolidatedCapitalizationRatio
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
       
HELCO          
Credit agreement          
Actual ratio of consolidated subsidiary debt to total consolidated capitalization (as a percent)       41.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantConsolidatedSubsidiaryDebtToTotalConsolidatedCapitalizationRatioActual
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= he_HawaiiElectricLightCompanyIncMember
 
Maui Electric          
Credit agreement          
Actual ratio of consolidated subsidiary debt to total consolidated capitalization (as a percent)       42.00%he_DebtInstrumentCovenantConsolidatedSubsidiaryDebtToTotalConsolidatedCapitalizationRatioActual
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= he_MauiElectricCompanyLimitedMember
 
Line of credit facility          
Credit agreement          
Revolving noncollateralized credit facility with a letter of credit sub-facility $ 150,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
      $ 125,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Unused capacity commitment fee 0.20%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
       
Line of credit facility | Hawaiian Electric Company          
Credit agreement          
Revolving noncollateralized credit facility with a letter of credit sub-facility 200,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
      175,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Unused capacity commitment fee 0.175%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
       
Eurodollar term loan | Loans payable          
Changes in long-term debt          
Long-term debt   125,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= he_EurodollarTermLoanMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember
     
Term of loan   2 years      
Eurodollar term loan | Loans payable | Minimum          
Changes in long-term debt          
Initial interest rate for initial period   1.12%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= he_EurodollarTermLoanMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
     
Eurodollar term loan | Loans payable | Maximum          
Changes in long-term debt          
Initial interest rate for initial period   1.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= he_EurodollarTermLoanMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
Medium-term Notes 6.51 Percent Due 2014 | Medium-term note          
Changes in long-term debt          
Repayments of debt     $ 100,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfUnsecuredDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= he_MediumTermNotes6.51PercentDue2014Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
   
Debt instrument, stated interest rate (as a percent)     6.51%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= he_MediumTermNotes6.51PercentDue2014Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
   
Adjusted LIBOR Rate | Line of credit facility          
Credit agreement          
Basis spread on variable rate 1.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= he_LondonInterbankOfferingRateLIBORAdjustedMember
       
Adjusted LIBOR Rate | Line of credit facility | Hawaiian Electric Company          
Credit agreement          
Basis spread on variable rate 1.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= he_LondonInterbankOfferingRateLIBORAdjustedMember