REDUCING THE RISK OF WILDFIRES
Gone are the days when wildfires were primarily confined to the western United States. Prolonged drought and shifting weather patterns are creating dangerous conditions in places that historically experienced few major fires. At High West Energy, protecting our members and the communities we serve is our highest priority. As we recognize National Wildfire Awareness Month in May, we want you to know that wildfire mitigation is not seasonal work for us. It is a year-round commitment embedded in how we operate and invest in our electrical system.
One of the most important ways we reduce wildfire threats is through our ongoing efforts with line maintenance and drone inspections. Our crews routinely inspect and maintain power lines, clear vegetation, and replace aging equipment to help prevent potential hazards before they become a problem. In addition, we utilize drone technology to safely and efficiently assess hard-to-reach areas along with inspecting structures from a different point of view. This allows us to identify issues with greater accuracy and respond more quickly. Together, these efforts strengthen system reliability and play a critical role in protecting our communities and the landscapes we serve. Along with line maintenance and drone inspections, High West Energy has also implemented a fire mitigation plan. While you have most likely heard about HWE going into “fire mitigation,” we want to dive a little more in-depth into what that consists of. During normal operation, you may notice that when a problem or “Fault” occurs on the line, sometimes your power blinks off and on four times before it goes completely out. This is caused by a device known as a recloser. These are simply a “smart” circuit breaker that has the ability to restore the flow of power on its own without a lineman coming out to patrol the line. Some faults are temporary and will clear without human intervention, allowing power to be restored through a reclose operation. When HWE initiates the “fire mitigation” mode, this removes the reclosing ability of these circuit breakers. This function is in place to limit the potential of ignition to a single source rather than four sources. While some faults are temporary, all faults have a cause and the potential to start a wildfire. When HWE is operating in fire mitigation procedures, all lines experiencing a fault must be patrolled to ensure re-energization will not cause a fire. HWE understands that this additional time patrolling the line is an inconvenience to our members, but we must evaluate every situation to the best of our crews' abilities to mitigate the possibilities of starting a wildfire. Over the past couple of years, as advancements in technology have evolved, HWE has begun the installation of new devices in the field. Fault Indicators and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) reclosers on the lines help to speed up outage restoration efforts for our members. These Fault Indicators look like a glass-shaped dome about the size of a softball. When a fault occurs on the line downstream of this device, it will begin blinking a red or amber flash, typically. The linemen use these flashing fault indicators to more precisely pinpoint the area where the fault is located.
SCADA reclosers allow for the non-reclosing setting to be initiated from the dispatch center instantly, instead of the lineman needing to drive to each device and manually initiate it. Additionally, the SCADA data acquisition portion allows personnel to evaluate the specifics of the fault that has occurred, which can help identify the direction and location of the fault. By relaying this information to linemen in the field, HWE can formulate a game plan to speed up outage restoration efforts for our members. Advanced imaging tools (Drones) and system analytics (Fault indicator and SCADA operated equipment) allow us to detect abnormal conditions and respond quickly. By investing in these modern technologies, we are shifting from reactive repairs to proactive prevention—identifying risks early and addressing them before they become emergencies. Wildfires are becoming more complex and more widespread, but through proactive system management, smart investments, sound policy, and community partnership, we can reduce risks and strengthen resilience.
At High West Energy, we take this responsibility seriously.
