By Rachelle Chong
Wildfires are growing in intensity and frequency, escalating the threat posed to Americans — and the critical utility infrastructure we rely on. According to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, weather and climate disasters cost the U.S. $91 billion in 2018.
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Existing advanced technologies can prevent wildfires and harden utility systems. Some of these tools were recently showcased at California’s first Wildfire Technology Innovation Summit. These solutions will increase situational awareness, predict high fire risk and take preventive actions to avert fire disasters. What they don’t have in most jurisdictions, however, is adequate funding. Ideally, this should be a combined private-public sector responsibility — but will require silos to be broken down to pool funding between utilities, first responders, and local, state and federal agencies who bear a shared responsibility to prevent fires.
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For these technologies to effectively operate in other communities, they require what I call “invisible infrastructure.” By this, I mean adequate wireless radio spectrum and robust high-speed private communications networks that operate over vast utility service areas. These secure wireless networks enable connectivity of fire monitoring cameras, weather sensors and other control devices that can shut off power to a falling power line.
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