Texas electric co-ops and city-owned utilities

Which service territory does the plan cover?

Draft the wildfire mitigation plan Texas PUC rule 25.60 requires of co-ops and utilities with lines in a wildfire risk area. Free to read.

Free to read
No sign-up until the draft
Every fact cites its source

ePlan fills in

Wildfire risk by area
Lines in risk areas
Fuels along lines
Fire weather
Communities exposed

How it works

Wildfire mitigation plan and PUC application, from one answer

Enter your territory and line miles, and say how you inspect, trim and shut off lines.One answer starts the project. ePlan names it and looks up the place.
ePlan maps wildfire risk along your lines and fills each item rule 25.60 asks for.3 more questions, each with a "not sure yet" way out.
Read the draft free, then download it for your independent expert and PUC filing.The draft marks what to check (amber), what to pick (blue) and what to fill in (violet).

What you get

Wildfire mitigation plan and PUC application and 3 more documents

The first draft is free to read. Each document after it is drafted from the same confirmed facts.

The first draft

Wildfire mitigation plan and PUC application (16 TAC 25.60)

Executive summary and requirement index
Wildfire risk areas and maps
Wildfires in the last 10 years
Inspection program
Vegetation management plan
Operations plan to reduce ignitions

Modeled on: PUC of Texas rule 16 TAC 25.60(f) application contents; Texas Utilities Code 38.080

Next · 2

Annual plan report (due May 1)

Plan measures completed
Inspections and vegetation work done
Wildfires and shutoffs this year
Changes planned

Next · 3

Vegetation management plan

Clearance standards by line type
Inspection and trim cycles
Hazard tree program
Records and contractor oversight

Next · 4

Public safety power shutoff protocol

Weather triggers
Coordination with the grid operator
Customer and first responder notice
Patrols before re-energizing

From public data

What ePlan fills in, and from where

Wildfire likelihood and exposureUSFS Wildfire Risk to Communities
Transmission lines in the territoryHIFLD electric power transmission lines
Fuels and vegetation along linesLANDFIRE
Fire weatherNWS fire weather
Natural hazard risk by countyFEMA National Risk Index

60 days

before filing its plan, a Texas utility must file a notice of intent with the PUC
Source: 16 TAC 25.60(e), PUC of Texas

Questions

Wildfire mitigation plan and PUC application: what people ask

Who has to file a wildfire mitigation plan in Texas?

Every electric utility, city-owned utility and electric co-op that owns transmission or distribution facilities in a wildfire risk area. The Texas Division of Emergency Management or the utility can designate those areas. A notice of intent is due at least 60 days before the application.

Source: ftp.puc.texas.gov

What does the independent expert do?

The application must include an analysis of the plan by an independent expert with at least five years of electric utility fire-risk experience. The expert attests they didn't help design the plan and assesses whether it fits your system's size, wildfire risks and industry practice.

Source: ftp.puc.texas.gov

How long does approval last?

The PUC rules within 180 days of a sufficient application. You must reapply within three years of approval, or sooner after a material change, and file an annual report by May 1 starting the year after approval.

Source: ftp.puc.texas.gov