Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), a subsidiary of Xcel Energy, recently filed a wildfire mitigation plan outlining the specific actions the company is taking to reduce wildfire risk and enhance public safety across its Texas service area.

In an effort to strengthen grid resilience, SPS filed the plan with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to establish a framework for assessing wildfire-related risks through management tools and practices. According to the company, the wildfire mitigation plan builds on existing Xcel Energy reliability and resiliency protocols to advance evolving industry practices that improve awareness of weather conditions and equipment performance.

SPS’s filing supports Xcel Energy in coordinating this approach to reducing wildfire risk and enhancing the public safety of vulnerable communities it serves. The company highlights that the proposed plan includes localized weather stations to track wildfire risk, AI-enabled detection cameras to monitor potential fire activity and drone-based inspections for improved equipment visibility.

Upgrades to Xcel Energy’s transmission and distribution lines are also key to SPS’s “layers of defense” approach, which focuses on replacing aging critical grid infrastructure and modernizing distribution systems. The plan reportedly awaits approval from the PUCT, with a decision anticipated within 180 days from its initial application.

“Wildfire mitigation work is not new to our region, but as the risk evolves, we are strategically partnering with our communities to address the issue,” said Brad Baldridge, Xcel’s interim president of its Texas division.

To help reduce ignition risk, Xcel notes it has enhanced operating strategies by enabling enhanced powerline safety settings that elevate its protective equipment, improving system abilities and implementing public safety power shutoff steps under defined conditions.

The company acknowledges that wildfire risk is not an issue any single organization or first responders can address alone without improved resources. “Our purpose is straightforward: Reduce wildfire risk, protect our communities and provide the safe, reliable service our customers depend on every day,” Baldridge added.