Bank segment (HEI only) - Mortgage Servicing Rights (Details) - American Savings Bank (ASB) - Allowance for mortgage-servicing assets – bank - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Loans receivable
Gross carrying amount	$ 17,271	$ 14,531
Accumulated amortization	(7,898)	(5,647)
Valuation allowance	0	0	$ (209)	$ (251)
Net carrying amount	$ 9,373	$ 8,884	$ 11,540

Servicing Asset, Accumulated Amortization

No definition available.

Name:	he_ServicingAssetAccumulatedAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	he_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Servicing Asset, Net

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	he_ServicingAssetNet
Namespace Prefix:	he_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate amount of servicing assets that are subsequently measured at fair value and servicing assets that are subsequently measured using the amortization method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 50
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6469459&loc=d3e122501-111745

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ServicingAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the estimated amount of impairment as of the balance sheet date of recognized servicing assets that are being amortized in proportion to and over the period of estimated net servicing income or loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 50
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68078379&loc=d3e122739-111746

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceForImpairmentOfRecognizedServicingAssetsBalance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=he_AmericanSavingsBankFSBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ServicingContractsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: