All electrical utilities are required to construct, maintain and operate their lines and equipment to minimize the risk of a utility-caused wildfire and undertake comprehensive mitigation measures through Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMPs), which must cover a three-year period. In early February, all of the large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) submitted 2021 updates of their WMPs as required by the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) Wildfire Safety Division for public review and formal approval. For the first time, these WMPs were required to include information on Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) as a wildfire risk reduction tool.
On April 6th, RCRC responded to these large IOU updates, which have several concerning findings related to vegetation management and PSPS. RCRC advocated to comprehensively examine risk calculation models, rectify deficient vegetation management practices, and investigate the usage of PSPS events to ensure they are conducted reasonably as a last resort. The Wildfire Safety Division has bifurcated the review and approval process for large IOUs and the Small and Multi-Jurisdictional Utilities (SMJUs) and Independent Transmission Owners (ITOs). More information on 2021 WMPs can be found here; public comments on SMJU and ITO 2021 WMP updates are due on April 14, 2021.