Oregon Electric Co-ops Are on the Leading Edge of Wildfire Mitigation
By Tucker Billman
Representatives of the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Engineering and Operations Committee met in May in Roseburg to discuss the upcoming wildfire season. With temperatures hitting 90 degrees in parts of the state, one thing became clear to attendees: Wildfire season is upon us.
Leaders from 3 cooperatives—Douglas Electric, Oregon Trail Electric, and Midstate Electric—served on a panel to discuss various techniques they use to mitigate wildfire risk. These practices include everything from traditional vegetation management methods—such as tree trimming and mowing right-of-way—to state-of-the-art technological concepts and data management tools that make co-op operators and engineers more precise in their decision-making and risk management.
“We keep doing things better than we ever have, but the risks keep escalating,” said DEC General Manager Keith Brooks, who has also testified in front of the Oregon State Legislature on wildfire mitigation.
Brooks outlined Douglas Electric’s robust tree-trimming program outside its rights-of-way after analysis showed only 2 out of 100 outages were related to trees inside the co-op’s rights-of-way. DEC has hired a fire mitigation manager and is buying additional firefighting wagons and other equipment.
Oregon Trail Electric Co-op Director of Operations Eric Wirfs pointed out that while utilities are under scrutiny for wildfire practices, the solution is far more complicated.
“We know that utilities don’t start the bulk of fires,” he said. “Humans do.”
Nevertheless, OTEC is on the leading edge of investing in technology such as weather stations, guy-wire sensors, and data management software.
“We’re trying to drive to a data point,” Wirfs said. “We work collaboratively with our community partners to understand their risks and their challenges, and then we use a collection of important data to make a final decision on the actions we take.”
Midstate’s Tom Weller and Brian Sharr described how imagery shot from drones helps the co-op pinpoint vegetation issues, allowing it to better maintain its rights-of-way.
MEC is also hardening its system by using more fire-resistant ductile iron poles, along with tree wire and electronic reclosers to mitigate potential wildfires.
However, with a high percentage of federal land in Midstate’s service territory, these projects can be challenging. Public land management agencies require co-ops to get permits—an often slow and cumbersome process—before starting much of this work.
“We are at the mercy of other agencies to get our permits approved so we can start working,” Sharr said.
He said being at the mercy of the Forest Service has forced them to wait up to six years for the necessary permits.
Representatives from the 3 utilities explained how their co-ops use drones to inspect their systems to find damaged equipment that needs to be replaced. Drones can be used to inspect power lines that are the subject of a preemptive de-energization to avoid starting a wildfire— a practice known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Before reenergizing the system, co-ops must inspect every inch of the line to ensure vegetation has not contacted it. This process can take several hours—or even days—because some line segments are hard to reach.
The topic of PSPS garnered considerable discussion at the meeting. Panelists noted electric co-ops have spent 80 years designing systems with the intention of keeping the lights on through even the most challenging weather. De-energizing the line is counter to that culture, but it remains a possible tool in the toolbox of wildfire mitigation techniques.
Navigating the societal impacts of a PSPS and the risk associated with implementing one is not easy. It often involves close community collaboration.
After listening to the panel, Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative Manager of Operations Brian Kollman summarized the challenge.
“When it comes to wildfire, we have a responsibility to do what is right for our members and our communities,” he said. “Because that is what co-ops do.”
For his part, Brooks believes co-op commitment to wildfire mitigation is not new.
“It has been our priority for years,” he said. “And we are doing more than ever before.”
