Electric utility segment - Regulatory proceedings (Details) $ in Thousands				3 Months Ended			4 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 16, 2021 agreement	Dec. 23, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 15, 2020 agreement	Mar. 31, 2023 USD ($) MWh project contract	Nov. 30, 2021 agreement	Nov. 30, 2021 entity	Mar. 31, 2023 USD ($) contract project agreement	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) agreement	Feb. 28, 2023 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 17, 2022 mechanism	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Jun. 01, 2021 mechanism	Mar. 23, 2021 mechanism	Dec. 31, 2020 entity	Jul. 09, 2020 agreement
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
PUC proposal period		45 days
Public utilities, modified pilot process proposal period				15 days
Propose pilots annual cap				$ 10,000
Potential total annual maximum reward				$ 2,000			$ 2,000
Advanced metering infrastructure term				3 years
Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
Number of performance incentive mechanisms | mechanism												2		3	2
Number of performance incentive mechanisms, penalty-only | mechanism												1
Multi-year rate period		5 years
Customer dividend, negative adjustment percentage		0.22%
Savings commitment liability, annual rate		$ 6,600
Earnings sharing mechanism, actual return on equity, dead band percentage above or below target				3.00%
Approved return on equity, percentage				9.50%
Percentage sharing between customers and utilities				50
Earnings sharing mechanism, actual earning, above or below dead band				1.50%
Percentage sharing for any further difference				90
MPIR and EPRM requested amount				$ 26,200
EPRM approved projects | contract				2			2
EPRM approved projects, capital costs				$ 41,000
Number of projects | project				6			6
Estimated capital costs				$ 480,000
2022 deferred cost recovery approved										$ 400
Decoupling order, service reliability performance, historical measurement period (in years)				10 years
Maximum penalty, percent of ROE				0.20%
Service reliability, pending adjusted maximum penalty amount				$ 6,800
Service reliability, estimated penalties								$ 100
Dead band percentage above or below the target				3.00%
Call center performance, maximum penalty percentage				0.08%
Call center performance, pending adjusted maximum penalty				$ 1,400
Number of power purchase agreements (PPAs) (in agreements) | agreement	1		1						7
Incentives accrued									$ 1,700				$ 100
Number of grid service purchase agreements | agreement																	2
Number of PPAs approved					2	2
Number of GSPAs approved | entity																2
Number of power purchase agreements terminated | agreement							2
Interpolated RPS rate goal, year one and two (in dollars per MWh) | MWh				20
Interpolated RPS rate goal, year three (in dollars per MWh) | MWh				15
Interpolated RPS rate goal, after year three (in dollars per MWh) | MWh				10
Failure to meet RPS targets, penalty rate (in dollars per MWh) | MWh				20
Potential total annual maximum reward				$ 1,500			$ 1,500
Public utilities, grid services procurement performance incentive mechanism, accrued estimated rewards								40
Potential total annual maximum reward				3,000			3,000
Total annual maximum penalty				900			900
Interconnection approval PIM, accrued estimated rewards								3,000
Performance incentive mechanism, maximum reward				$ 2,000			$ 2,000
Performance incentive mechanism, term				3 years
Performance incentive mechanism, accrued estimated rewards											$ 500
Target performance historical measurement period				10 years
Percent of return on equity				0.03%
Pending adjusted amount				$ 1,000
Target performance period				10 months
Target deadband period				2 months
Accrued earned rewards, net of penalties								3,400
Hawaiian Electric, Parent
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
Public utilities retained percentage				20.00%
Accrued earned rewards, net of penalties								2,500
Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
Accrued earned rewards, net of penalties								400
Maui Electric
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
Accrued earned rewards, net of penalties								$ 500
Schofield Generation Station | Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
MPIR requested amount				$ 16,500
West Loch PV Project | Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
MPIR requested amount				3,500
Grid Modernization Strategy Phase 1 Project | Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
MPIR requested amount				6,100
Waiawa UFLS Project | Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Regulatory Projects and Legal Obligations [Line Items]
EPRM requested amount				$ 100