The Big Picture:
Electric utility risk managers face a new and increasingly critical challenge: effectively communicating wildfire risk and mitigation efforts to a concerned public. This isn’t just about providing information; it’s about building trust with customers and stakeholders in the face of potentially disruptive and controversial measures like Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). The gap is widening between the complex realities of wildfire risk management and the broad understanding of those realities. Failure to bridge this gap can lead to backlash, erode trust, and hinder an electric utility’s ability to implement necessary risk reduction strategies.
Customers Will Be Increasingly Impacted by Wildfire Operations:
- Customers Need To Be Brought Along: Framing PSPS as a “last resort” is often insufficient. The reality is that it’s becoming a necessary standard of care. The problem is changing public perception to understand that PSPS are not failures but a critical tool to prevent catastrophic outcomes, especially those “1 in 100 year” events that are becoming more frequent.
- The New Reality of Wildfire Operations: Although PSPS is the ‘measure of last resort’, the increasing frequency of them, combined with the inherent disruption they cause, can create a significant trust deficit. Customers, creditors, and boards are demanding transparency and justification for these measures. Without clear and consistent communication, electric utilities risk alienating their stakeholders and facing severe reputational damage.
What Utilities Can Start To Do Differently in Customer Communications:
- Demystifying Risk Mitigation: Simply documenting risk reduction efforts isn’t enough. Utilities must translate complex technical information—investments in fire science, operational improvements, etc.—into clear, accessible language that resonates with the public. It’s not just about what information to communicate, but also how to communicate it most effectively.
- Explaining the Avoided Tragedy: While post-PSPS simulations can demonstrate effectiveness, the abstract nature of “avoided risk” can be difficult for the public to grasp. Leading electric utilities are sharing their forecast and simulation estimates, in terms of buildings and people in harm’s way, to show communities that they are being considered in these decisions.
- Proactive Communication, Beyond PSPS: True engagement requires collaboration and understanding the specific needs of at-risk communities. Before events, leading electric utilities are building genuine partnerships, incorporating community feedback into PSPS planning and becoming publicly visible with their proactive mitigation efforts.
There is increased public scrutiny of electric utility wildfire risk management practices. This calls for the development of standardized communication protocols for PSPS events and the use of technology to enhance communication and community engagement to ensure the evolution of public perception of PSPS as a valued and successful risk mitigation tool.
