When flames ripped through the drought-parched town of Paradise in 2018, destroying homes and killing 85 in California’s deadliest-ever wildfire, it was a wake-up call to power companies across the country. Electric lines would ultimately be blamed for the blaze, and the state’s largest utility was driven into bankruptcy. It’s…
When flames ripped through the drought-parched town of Paradise in 2018, destroying homes and killing 85 in California’s deadliest-ever wildfire, it was a wake-up call to power companies across the country. Electric lines would ultimately be blamed for the blaze, and the state’s largest utility was driven into bankruptcy.
This isn’t just a problem for Hawaii. Across the country, America’s power companies have been sluggish at a time when urgency is growing.The number of people in the US exposed to wildfire risk has doubled in just two decades. But rather than taking decisive steps, utilities are often slow to react by taking their time filing for approvals to recover their costs, as was the case for Hawaiian Electric.
Responding to a request for comment, Hawaiian Electric didn’t address an inquiry over whether any of the wildfire mitigation work identified in its June 30, 2022, application with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission had started. The company has said in filings it was doing preliminary engineering work on the plan before regulatory approval.
Scientists warn that as the planet heats up, it will lead to longer and more active wildfire seasons. Utilities operating aging grids in parched lands, particularly in the US West, will have little room for error. Wildfires are growing in intensity and frequency. Those changes are happening far faster than even many scientists were predicting. And its not just utilities that have been slow to respond, regulators and governments also failed to keep up with the rapidly evolving conditions.
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