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In the years ahead, wildfires may reach catastrophic proportions for utilities. The wildfire situation is bad now and could get worse as summers get hotter, as predicted. But there are defensive measures and technology is helping.

The United States Energy Association has scheduled its next virtual press briefing as an examination of the current wildfire challenge, future expectations, and ways utilities can act to prevent wildfires, from hardening systems to the use of drones and AI to predict, respond to, and reduce instances of fire.

The briefing on Zoom is set for Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m EDT. It has been organized and will be hosted by journalist Llewellyn King.

In the briefing, a panel of senior journalists who cover energy will question a panel of experts on the wildfire liability faced by utilities. Briefings are broadcast live; they are unscripted and the atmosphere is collegial.

Wildfires are high on the list of things that keep utility executives awake at night. For utilities in the West, wildfires appear to be a year-round problem.

Also, they aren’t confined to the West — although that region has been Ground Zero. Any forested land is vulnerable, as the climate grows hotter and less predictable.

Wildfire management and suppression is a moral as well as a financial burden for the electric utility industry. Pacific Gas and Electric, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, was forced to seek bankruptcy protection after it faced $30 billion in lawsuits, following the several files including the Camp Fire in 2018.

With a huge accumulation of dead trees and other vegetation creating an abundance of fuel, the wildfire problem has grown as excessive heat and drought have affected much of the United States and Canada. Timber is lost, crops are destroyed, livestock perish, homes are razed, and people die. Fire is indiscriminate, merciless and relentless.

Wildfires have been raging in Europe, too. This has been a catastrophic year for Southern Europe. France, Spain, Portugal and Greece have been battling them. A few years ago, faraway Siberia was on fire; and Asia has had massive fires, especially Indonesia.

Because of contract cancellations from the federal government, the USEA urgently seeks sponsors for these briefings. You can sponsor one or a series. Please contact me at llewellynking1@gmail.com.

Briefings are free and open to the public, but you must register to attend. The recording will be posted to YouTube, where it will be available for one week before becoming exclusive to USEA's YouTube channel members. Join our YouTube Channel here.