Electricity Today T&D Magazine

Introduction
In November of 2018, the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California history burned a total of 240 square miles, destroyed 18,804 structures and resulted in 85 civilian fatalities. Known as the Camp Fire, it devastated several communities including the towns of Paradise and Concow, California.
As a result of this fire, California policy makers began looking for options to harden electrical grid infrastructure in areas that are prone to wildfire. One option was moving electrical transmission materials below ground, which is extremely expensive. The cost for one mile of underground utilities is approximately $5 million, 10 times the cost of overhead utilities per mile. Other options included replacing wood poles with steel, fiberglass or concrete poles, which would cost a minimum of two to three times more than wood poles and require an enormous carbon footprint. A different solution was needed that was effective, reliable, cost-efficient and sustainable.

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