Top Innovators
Brian D’Agostino is VP of Wildfire and Climate Science at San Diego Gas and Electric’s Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center. Jonathan Woldemariam is Director of Wildfire Mitigation and Vegetation Management at San Diego Gas and Electric’s Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center. Sandeep Aujla is Director of Fire Science and Climate Adaptation at San Diego Gas and Electric’s Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center. Thom Porter is Director of Emergency Management at San Diego Gas and Electric’s Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center.
San Diego Gas and Electric won the Fortnightly Top Innovator 2025 award ''Nancy Fitzroy Top Innovator in Environment and Safety'' for its Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center.
PUF's Lori Burkhart: Please describe the innovation and its positive impact.
Brian D'Agostino: The Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center (WCRC) is far more than a building; it is the physical embodiment of our commitment to a safer, more resilient future. This center represents a fundamental shift in how a utility can confront climate-driven challenges.
By unifying our emergency operations, fire science research, climate adaptation planning, and risk mitigation teams under one roof, and powering it with AI-driven predictive models and real-time data, we have created a nerve center for climate resilience. The positive impact is profound: we are not only enhancing grid reliability and reducing outages for our customers but, most importantly, providing our region with an unprecedented level of preparedness.
This innovation allows us to move from reactive response to proactive prediction and prevention, safeguarding our communities, environment, and the critical infrastructure that powers our lives. It's a model for the nation, proving that through innovation, we can meet the challenges of our changing planet head on.