LA City Controller Ron Galperin: Improving DWP Wildfire Prevention
Here are the links to the interactive resource map and data showing recent utility-related fires as well as a link to “It Only Takes a Spark: Enhancing DWP’s Wildfire Prevention Strategy: Understanding wildfire risks for the LA Department of Water and Power and improving prevention efforts” that are describe in Ron Galperin’s message below.
Dear Neighbors:
Wildfires have become increasingly common over the past decade, ravaging millions of acres in California’s rural and metropolitan areas. Although fires start for a number of reasons — including high winds and dry conditions — since 2015, overhead power lines have sparked six of the 10 worst fires ever recorded, burning 649,000 acres, destroying 23,500 structures and killing 108 people. These dangers are a growing concern for utilities like our very own Department of Water and Power (DWP).
As the largest publicly-owned utility in the country, the DWP is responsible for delivering power safely to 1.5 million ratepayers in the City and beyond. However, the rash of destructive wildfires across California is posing new challenges for the DWP and other power utilities across the state. My latest report, “It Only Takes a Spark: Enhancing DWP’s Wildfire Prevention Strategy,” assesses the wildfire risks faced by the utility and urges it to take steps to better protect communities, ratepayers and the environment from the growing threat of catastrophic blazes.
DWP wildfire challenges include: · 15 percent of the DWP’s service territory falls within elevated wildfire threat areas established by the state. · 49,000 DWP utility poles, most of which are wooden, are in these areas. · 30 percent of those utility poles are more than 65 years old. · 18 percent of the DWP’s transmission towers and power lines are in wildfire threat areas. · 1,048 fire safety-related maintenance orders remain backlogged in wildfire threat areas.
The DWP has already taken some steps to reduce the danger of wildfires in recent years, but given their increased frequency, the utility must do more to address potential safety issues, clear backlogs, better manage brush and vegetation, and proactively mitigate wildfire risks. Consultants estimate that the DWP could suffer an average of $42 million losses each year for the next 100 years.
Along with the report, my office also released an interactive, online resource map and data story showing recent utility-related fires, wildfire threat areas in DWP service territory and my recommendations for change. Read the report and view the map at https://lacontroller.org/audits-and-reports/dwps-wildfire-prevention/.
Downed overhead power lines operated by the bankrupt private utility PG&E caused the Camp Fire — the state’s worst-ever fire — and the L.A.’s recent Getty fire reportedly started when a tree branch fell onto live power lines. Our local public utility can do more to prevent these catastrophic events, which will improve the safety and reliability of the power system as a whole.
Very truly yours,
RON GALPERIN , L.A. Controller
