U.S. wildfire-power grid risk: A review of policy & practices in ten western states

Abstract

Record-breaking fires in the western U.S. have drawn considerable scrutiny of the risks associated with wildfires and the power grid. Electricity infrastructure can both cause and be impacted by wildfires, at times forcing planned shutoffs. As utilities rapidly deploy mitigation measures and policymakers seek systematic solutions, this paper reviews the state of knowledge on the wildfire-grid nexus, synthesizing insights from risk analysis, power system technology, and policy fields. We address a significant research gap by evaluating recent policy advances and practices in ten Western states (AK, AZ, CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA). Using historical record review and five policy indicators, our findings demonstrate a rapid yet fragmented policy landscape. We establish a fundamental accountability asymmetry where public wildfire hazards are managed via disconnected proprietary utility frameworks, resulting in a state-by-state patchwork. We outline pathways for regional harmonization, evaluate upcoming technical integration like machine learning architectures, and identify the expansion of oversight to resource-constrained municipal and cooperative utilities as a critical next policy frontier.