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Wildfire: an Updated Look at Utility Risk and Mitigation

Wildfire: an Updated Look at Utility Risk and Mitigation

Full Title: Wildfire: an Updated Look at Utility Risk and Mitigation
Author(s): Eric Macomber, Avery Bick, Michael Wara, and Michael Mastrandrea
Publisher(s): Stanford, Woods Institute for the Environment
Publication Date: June 20, 2025
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

Evidence suggests that several of the catastrophic wildfires that struck Los Angeles earlier this year may have been sparked by electric utility infrastructure. As utilities prepare for record infrastructure demand driven by electrification, data centers, and renewables, the cost of inaction in the face of rising wildfire risk is mounting. Wildfires can cause billions of dollars in damages to communities, bankrupt utilities, and ultimately drive up rates for customers.

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