Wildfire Technology Landscape: A Framework for U.S. Utilities

This report outlines the six-stage framework SEPA developed to map utility wildfire actions from pre-season mitigation through post-event recovery, the technologies that support each stage, real-world utility programs and outcomes, the state legislative and regulatory landscape, and the investment justification frameworks that make technology decisions defensible.

Key findings:

• Leading utilities have demonstrated that embedding wildfire technology into planning, operations, and response delivers measurable results
• Better data is the foundation on which everything else depends on
• GIS accuracy, current asset records, and full-territory coverage are the minimum inputs for risk modeling
• The majority of wildfire mitigation investment goes toward vegetation management and infrastructure hardening, but a growing share is being directed toward the enabling and monitoring technologies that help utilities decide where to harden, what to prioritize, and how to act faster when risk is highest
• Companion appendices cover the technology landscape across all six stages and considerations written specifically for utilities, regulators, and consumer advocates

Use this research to support wildfire strategy, wildfire mitigation plans, rate cases, and regulatory proceedings.