With hundreds of miles of overhead electric lines surrounded by difficult terrain and forested areas, proactive risk identification is critical to preventing electric system-related wildfires.
Action steps:
Technologies such as remote-control switches and covered conductors can help us quickly isolate an at-risk electric line or prevent damage from windblown vegetation.
Action steps:
Wildfires are a fact of life in Colorado. Situational awareness provides us with tools to monitor and evaluate ever-changing conditions that contribute to fire risk such as gusty winds, humidity, tree density and tree health.
No matter our situational awareness, it is impossible to eliminate wildfire risk. That’s why we embrace partnerships with local and regional first responders, and have invested in an in-house Wildland Fire Team and a water distribution system that are equipped to provide critical support early in a wildfire event.
A note about public safety power shutoffs
We do not implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which involve widespread, preemptive power outages. Instead, we use strategic, situational de-energization only as an absolute last resort to address an immediate threat, always prioritizing the continuity of service for our customers.
A note about undergrounding overhead lines
While limited undergrounding projects may make sense for high-risk overhead lines, the cost is four to five times the cost of overhead systems.
Costs to underground can be even higher if the terrain is rocky and hard-to-access, and the logistics for retrofitting an overhead system in these areas can be almost impossible.
