How Energy Sector Could Improve Power System Resilience For Wildfire Season

With an anticipated hotter than average summer, California and the western United States are preparing for wildfire season. As local residents know all too well, the devastation caused by wildfires goes beyond ecological damage. Each year, these natural disasters cause millions of dollars of damage to infrastructure systems. It’s also a social and economic crisis, impacting the homes and businesses of millions of us. 

Electric usage is projected to increase with the clean energy transition, and utility infrastructure transporting this power often stretches through wildfire-prone regions. Serving electricity needs safely and reliably amid relentless wildfire threats is complex. That’s why many energy companies are working on wildfire mitigation and resiliency research. Our team, in conjunction with the energy industry, recently launched a Wildfire Advisory Group, part of a 5-year technology action plan to reduce wildfire risk. The advisory group will focus on lab testing, member field pilots, and collection of best practices to help the industry mitigate wildfire risk and increase the resiliency of power systems. 

This will build on the research conducted for more than a decade, helping energy providers prevent and prepare for wildfires. Work continues in the industry to upgrade equipment, improve processes, prioritize system investments, and better manage the impacts of severe weather events. This research also has helped identify emerging risk areas, such as landscapes that have been transformed by ongoing drought and are now more vulnerable to wildfires.

The resulting data helps energy companies prioritize environmental mitigation efforts, like pruning foliage before wildfire season begins. For example, one California utility prunes nearly 750,000 trees each year to prevent contact with electrical equipment. Using research to inform decisions about making infrastructure less vulnerable – such as burying low-voltage distribution lines and incorporating new technology – also helps utilities reduce risk. 

Drones and other advanced technology offer several avenues of mitigation, depending on what makes sense for a particular area. Energy companies are employing drones to inspect equipment more efficiently. This is particularly effective in large rural or mountainous areas where visual inspection from the ground is difficult. Researchers are now pairing drone hardware with system maps and artificial intelligence (AI) to “hunt” for fires or faulty electrical equipment. In the future, utility companies may run AI platforms in partnership with fire departments.

Wildfire resiliency is becoming even more critical in areas that repeatedly experience natural disasters. With the housing crisis pushing more residents away from urban settings into rural, more wildfire-prone areas, the need for more affordable and resilient home construction becomes more evident with each wildfire season.

The energy industry, EPRI, and builders are taking an active role in the emergence of fire-resilient homes. The California Energy Commission recently provided funding to design and build three all-electric, net-zero manufactured homes. Collaborators have identified materials and construction practices that will achieve a more aggressive fire resistance rating. Solutions include fiberglass shingles, pop vents with wire mesh screens, fiber cement siding, and tempered glass windows. 

Helping utilities forecast and mitigate risks, build safer, more resilient operations, and incorporate innovative technologies to benefit energy users will help advance clean energy goals and reduce exposure to wildfire impacts.