With the frequency and risk of devastating wildfires increasing across Colorado and the nation, Colorado Springs Utilities has proactively developed and released its formal Wildfire Mitigation Plan, it said on March 25.
The Wildfire Mitigation Plan primarily focuses on mitigation strategies for electric infrastructure, such as overhead lines, poles and transformers.
“As a four-service utility, many of the resources we depend on for drinking water and electricity are located in challenging terrain outside the immediate city limits,” said Somer Mese, Chief Operations Officer at the public power utility. “These vital resources are often surrounded by vegetation and wildlife and are subject to harsh weather conditions – all of which can increase the risk of damage to our electric equipment and feed large, fast-spreading wildfires.”
Colorado Springs Utilities’ Wildfire Mitigation Plan "builds on decades of proactive planning and prevention, such as the organization’s in-house Wildland Fire Team and established vegetation management program," it said.
The plan focuses on three primary areas – risk assessment, risk mitigation and situational awareness – "to help protect life and property, preserve electric system reliability, protect water sources and keep forests healthy."
As part of plan-identified action strategies, the utility has budgeted the following amounts for prevention programs in 2025 and beyond:
- $3.2 million to support the organization’s vegetation management program.
- $612,000 in 2025 to pilot system hardening projects.
- $3.5 million annually from 2026 – 2029 for system improvement projects that reflect the latest in industry best practices.
- $2 million annually on forest health and wildfire mitigation projects near watersheds/water reservoirs.
