Exhibit 25 (a)
                     CONFORMED COPY


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                                   FORM T-1

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                           STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
                  UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A
                   CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

                     CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE
                     ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO
                       SECTION 305(b)(2)           |__|

                            ----------------------

                             THE BANK OF NEW YORK
              (Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)


New York                                              13-5160382
(State of incorporation                               (I.R.S. employer
if not a U.S. national bank)                          identification no.)

48 Wall Street, New York, N.Y.                        10286
(Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip code)


                            ----------------------


                             HECO CAPITAL TRUST II
              (Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)


Delaware                                              52-6834193
(State or other jurisdiction of                       (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)                        identification no.)

c/o The Bank of New York
101 Barclay Street, 21st floor
New York, New York                                    10286
Attention:  Corporate Trust Trustee Administration
(Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip code)

                            ______________________

                          Trust Preferred Securities
                      (Title of the indenture securities)


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                     CONFORMED COPY


1. GENERAL INFORMATION.  FURNISH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AS TO THE TRUSTEE:

   (a) NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH EXAMINING OR SUPERVISING AUTHORITY TO WHICH IT
   IS SUBJECT.



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      Name                                        Address
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   Superintendent of Banks of the State of      2 Rector Street, New York,
   New York                                     N.Y.  10006, and Albany, N.Y. 12203
 
   Federal Reserve Bank of New York             33 Liberty Plaza, New York,
                                                N.Y.  10045
 
   Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation        Washington, D.C. 20429
 
   New York Clearing House Association          New York, New York 10005

   (b) WHETHER IT IS AUTHORIZED TO EXERCISE CORPORATE TRUST POWERS.

   Yes.

2. AFFILIATIONS WITH OBLIGOR.

   IF THE OBLIGOR IS AN AFFILIATE OF THE TRUSTEE, DESCRIBE EACH SUCH
   AFFILIATION.

   None.

16.  LIST OF EXHIBITS.

   EXHIBITS IDENTIFIED IN PARENTHESES BELOW, ON FILE WITH THE COMMISSION, ARE
   INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE AS AN EXHIBIT HERETO, PURSUANT TO RULE 7A-29
   UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 (THE "ACT") AND 17 C.F.R. 229.10(d).

   1.   A copy of the Organization Certificate of The Bank of New York (formerly
        Irving Trust Company) as now in effect, which contains the authority to
        commence business and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust
        powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to Form T-1 filed with
        Registration Statement No. 33-6215, Exhibits 1a and 1b to Form T-1 filed
        with Registration Statement No. 33-21672 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed
        with Registration Statement No. 33-29637.)

   4.   A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee.  (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1
        filed with Registration Statement No. 33-31019.)

   6.   The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act.
        (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-44051.)

   7.   A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published
        pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining
        authority.

                                      -2-

 
                                   SIGNATURE



   Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York, a
corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, has
duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of New York, and State
of New York, on the 15th day of October, 1998.


                                       THE BANK OF NEW YORK



                                       By:  /s/ Robert A. Massimillo
                                           --------------------------
                                          Name: Robert A. Massimillo
                                          Title: ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT

                                      -3-

 
                                                                       Exhibit 7

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                      Consolidated Report of Condition of

                              THE BANK OF NEW YORK

                    of 48 Wall Street, New York, N.Y. 10286
                     And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,
a member of the Federal Reserve System, at the close of business March 31, 1998,
published in accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this
District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.
 
 
                                              Dollar Amounts          
ASSETS                                         in Thousands              
                                                           
Cash and balances due from depos-                                      
  itory institutions:                                                  
  Noninterest-bearing balances and                                     
   currency and coin.....................                $ 6,397,993   
  Interest-bearing balances..............                  1,138,362   
Securities:                                                            
  Held-to-maturity securities............                  1,062,074   
  Available-for-sale securities..........                  4,167,240   
Federal funds sold and Securities pur-                                 
  chased under agreements to resell......                    391,650    
Loans and lease financing                                              
  receivables:                                                         
  Loans and leases, net of unearned                                    
    income............................... 36,538,242                   
  LESS: Allowance for loan and                                         
    lease losses.........................    631,725                   
  LESS: Allocated transfer risk                                        
    reserve..............................          0                   
  Loans and leases, net of unearned                                    
    income, allowance, and reserve.......                 35,906,517   
Assets held in trading accounts..........                  2,145,149   
Premises and fixed assets (including                                   
  capitalized leases)....................                    663,928   
Other real estate owned..................                     10,895   
Investments in unconsolidated                                          
  subsidiaries and associated                                          
  companies..............................                    237,991   
Customers' liability to this bank on                                   
  acceptances outstanding................                    992,747   
Intangible assets........................                  1,072,517   
Other assets.............................                  1,643,173   
                                                         -----------   
Total assets.............................                $55,830,236   
                                                         ===========   
                                                                       
LIABILITIES                                                            
Deposits:                                                              
  In domestic offices....................                $24,849,054    
  Noninterest-bearing.................... 10,011,422                   
  Interest-bearing....................... 14,837,632                   
  In foreign offices, Edge and                                         
  Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs.......                 15,319,002    
  Noninterest-bearing....................    707,820
 

 
 
                                                          
  Interest-bearing....................... 14,611,182                    
Federal funds purchased and Securities                                  
  sold under agreements to repurchase....                1,906,066      
Demand notes issued to the U.S.                                         
  Treasury...............................                  215,985      
Trading liabilities......................                1,591,288      
Other borrowed money:                                                   
  With remaining maturity of one year                                   
    or less..............................                1,991,119      
  With remaining maturity of more than                                  
    one year through three years.........                        0      
  With remaining maturity of more than                                  
    three years..........................                   25,574      
Bank's liability on acceptances exe-                                    
  cuted and outstanding..................                  998,145      
Subordinated notes and debentures........                1,314,000      
Other liabilities........................                2,421,281      
                                                       -----------      
Total liabilities........................               50,631,514      
                                                       -----------      
                                                                        
EQUITY CAPITAL                                                          
Common stock.............................                1,135,284      
Surplus..................................                  731,319      
Undivided profits and capital                                           
  reserves...............................                3,328,050      
Net unrealized holding gains                                            
  (losses) on available-for-sale                                        
  securities.............................                   40,198      
Cumulative foreign currency transla-                                    
  tion adjustments.......................                  (36,129)     
                                                       -----------      
Total equity capital.....................                5,198,722      
                                                       -----------      
Total liabilities and equity                                            
  capital................................              $55,830,236      
                                                       ===========       
 

   I, Robert E. Keilman, Senior Vice President and Comptroller of the above-
named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in
conformance with the instructions issued by the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System and is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

                                                            Robert E. Keilman

   We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report of
Condition and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our
knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions
issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and is true and
correct.

   Thomas A. Renyi     |
   Alan R. Griffith    |   Directors
   J. Carter Bacot     |
 
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