Heco Capital Trust Iii S-3 Shelf registration

EXHIBIT 24(c)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PEOPLE BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned, MAUI ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED, a Hawaii corporation (“MECO”), and the officers and directors of said corporation whose names are signed hereto, hereby constitute and appoint T. Michael May, Richard A. von Gnechten, Lorie Ann Nagata, David J. Reber and Gregory R. Kim of Honolulu, Hawaii, and each of them, with full power of substitution in the premises (with full power to each of them to act alone), their true and lawful attorneys and agents, and in its and their name, place and stead, to do any and all acts and things and to execute and deliver any and all instruments and documents which said attorneys and agents or any of them may deem necessary or advisable to be done to enable MECO to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and any rules, regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect thereof and/or to comply with the requirements of any other state regulatory authority, all in connection with the registration under the Securities Act on Form S-3 of up to 4,000,000 of Trust Preferred Securities with a liquidation preference of $25 per Preferred Security to be issued by HECO Capital Trust III, or of up to 2,000,000 of Trust Preferred Securities with a liquidation preference of $25 per Preferred Security to be issued by each of HECO Capital Trust III and HECO Capital Trust IV, for the benefit of MECO and as guaranteed by MECO’s parent company, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (“HECO”), and the related HECO Guarantees and underlying debt securities of HECO, MECO and Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc., including specifically but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, power and authority to sign the name of Maui Electric Company, Limited, and the names of the undersigned officers and directors thereof, in the capacities indicated below, to a registration

statement (or to two registration statements if HECO Capital Trust IV is to be organized and up to 2,000,000 of its Trust Preferred Securities are to be offered) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of the aforementioned securities and to any and all amendments (including pre- and post-effective amendments) and supplements thereto (including specifically and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any amendment or amendments changing the number of Trust Preferred Securities for which registration is being sought) and to any instruments or documents filed as a part of or in connection with said registration statements or amendments or supplements thereto, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms all of the aforesaid that said attorneys and agents or any of them shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maui Electric Company, Limited has caused this Power of Attorney to be executed in its name by its President and its Financial Vice President and attested by its Secretary, and the undersigned officers and directors of Maui Electric Company, Limited have hereunto set their hands, as of the 1^st day of October, 2003. This Power of Attorney may be executed in any number of counterparts by the corporation and by any one or more of the officers and directors named below.

ATTEST:	MAUI ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED
/s/ MOLLY M. EGGED Molly M. Egged	By	/s/ EDWARD L. REINHARDT Edward L. Reinhardt
Secretary		President
	By	/s/ RICHARD A.VON GNECHTEN
		Richard A. von Gnechten Financial Vice President

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/s/ EDWARD L. REINHARDT Edward L. Reinhardt	President and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ RICHARD A.VON GNECHTEN Richard A. von Gnechten	Financial Vice President (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ T. MICHAEL MAY T. Michael May	Chairman of the Board of Directors
/s/ ROBERT F. CLARKE Robert F. Clarke	Director

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