What to Keep in Mind
Joaquin Ramirez is the Founder of Technosylva.
The escalating wildfire risk has created an energetic and collaborative approach from electric utilities and state regulators. The question has shifted from whether or not these lower frequency, high-consequence events are a concern, to how stakeholders can move beyond simply reacting to wildfires and proactively mitigating this ever-present danger.
Utility executives and regulators are working decisively toward implementing demonstrable measures that prevent ignitions and minimize community and landscape impacts. These are the right actions not only for the safety and economy of every community, but also to maintain the viability of critical electric utility operations in the face of outages and issues with credit ratings and insurability.
These are critical decisions and actions facing smart and responsible leaders who usually have great experience with policy, operations, and risk management, but not necessarily extensive experience with wildfire. So, what are the key things utility executives and regulators need to keep in mind as they chart the forward path?
Three Wildfire Considerations
First, wildfire behavior and its related risks are inherently dynamic, not static. The confluence of weather patterns, fuel conditions, and the very landscape itself are in constant flux. What might be a low-risk day can transform in a matter of hours with a shift in wind or a drop in humidity.