EXHIBIT 23(a)

                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT

To Board of Directors
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.:

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on
Form S-3 of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., Hawaiian Electric Industries
Capital Trust II, and Hawaiian Electric Industries Capital Trust III registering
Senior Debt Securities, Senior Subordinated Debt Securities, Junior Subordinated
Debt Securities, Preferred Stock, Common Stock, Stock Purchase Contracts, Stock
Purchase Units, Trust Preferred Securities, and Hawaiian Electric Industries,
Inc. Guarantees with respect to Trust Preferred Securities, of our report dated
February 11, 2004, relating to the consolidated balance sheets of Hawaiian
Electric Industries, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and
the related consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders' equity,
and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31,
2003, which report is included in the Current Report on Form 8-K of Hawaiian
Electric Industries, Inc. dated February 26, 2004. We also consent to the
incorporation by reference of our report dated January 20, 2003, relating to the
consolidated balance sheets of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. and
subsidiaries as of December 31, 2002 and 2001, and the related consolidated
statements of income, changes in stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each
of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2002, which report is
incorporated by reference in the 2002 annual report on Form 10-K of Hawaiian
Electric Industries, Inc. We also consent to the incorporation by reference of
our report dated January 20, 2003, relating to the financial statement schedules
of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. in the aforementioned 2002 annual report
on Form 10-K, which report is included in said Form 10-K and to the reference to
our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.

Our reports refer to a change in the method of accounting for goodwill and other
intangible assets and for stock-based compensation.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Honolulu, Hawaii
February 26, 2004