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Turning off electrical grids to prevent wildfire− a complex, technical operation


Turning off power is a last-ditch strategy for utilities to reduce the risk that their systems could spark wildfires. In most states, deciding whether to take that step is up to utilities.

Developing sophisticated plans for public safety outages requires extensive knowledge of a utility’s territory and accurate assessments of which zones are high-risk areas. Utilities, however, don’t always have abundant sensors in low-voltage distribution grids – the portion of the system that brings power into neighborhoods – and may lack extremely granular control over individual components. To make that kind of cooperation possible, utilities will need better insight into the state of the distribution grid, more detailed models of their systems, and improved measurement and sensing strategies that can help them develop accurate and granular assessments of wildfire risk.

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