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Heard that too.
My guess is Hawaii uses 4KV distribution. (Actually it could be 4KV, 4140, or 4400.) That's the voltage used in coastal SC. (It was at one time the standard in the US.) HV distribution (usually 13.8 KV) cannot be used in coastal areas. The HV just arcs everywhere due to the high moisture content in the air.
They probably use #6 copper wire since ACSR wire (used in 13.8 systems) would get eat up by the salt corrosion.
The lower voltage is less likely to arc and cause a fire. You can get an idea of the voltage by looking at the insulators on the pole.
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