Technosylva’s Vice President for Weather & Risk Solutions, Steve Vanderburg, often explains that building a wildfire-resilient grid must be appreciated as an ongoing process.
As extreme weather events intensify, electric utilities must continuously adapt their strategies to mitigate wildfire risks. In this effort, data-driven insights, advanced modeling, and a flexible approach are key to success.
Risk managers at electric utilities need to integrate fire spread prediction and weather data to prioritize mitigation efforts. Additionally, engineers should analyze circuits to identify vulnerabilities and plan hardening projects effectively. Together, developing a wildfire-focused workforce at their electric utility is essential. By learning from past experiences and embracing innovation, electric utilities can ensure their grids remain safe and reliable in the face of increasing wildfire and extreme weather threats.
5 Key Takeaways:
- Grid hardening is a continuous process: It requires ongoing investment, innovation, and adaptation.
- Data-driven insights are crucial: Leveraging analytics helps utilities understand vulnerabilities and prioritize mitigation efforts.
- Advanced modeling is essential: Integrating fire spread prediction and weather data provides comprehensive situational awareness
- Flexibility and adaptability are key: Electric utilities must be prepared to adjust their strategies as wildfire threats evolve.
- A wildfire-focused workforce is essential: Developing expertise in extreme weather-related resilience planning is crucial for long-term success.
Read our full article in Utility Dive and see how leading electric utilities are advancing their outage analytics to help prioritize asset hardening and vegetation management decisions.
