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Xcel Energy outlines wildfire mitigation plan, warns PSPS in Lake County is a matter of "when" not "if"
Summary
Blair McGarry of Xcel Energy told the Lake County Board that the utility has invested in wildfire mitigation, is using new modelling and monitoring tools, and that public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) remain a tool of last resort that communities should prepare for.
Blair McGarry, area manager for Xcel Energy serving Lake County, told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 that the utility is implementing a statewide wildfire mitigation plan that includes new modeling, monitoring and operational measures and warned that public safety power shutoffs could occur in the county.
McGarry said the company has invested “over $500,000,000 in wildfire mitigation activities across the state” since 2020, and described efforts to strengthen lines, widen vegetation clearances, add weather stations, deploy drones and use wildfire‑spread modeling to inform operational decisions.
The presentation matters because the measures can reduce wildfire risk but also lengthen outages when the utility shifts to enhanced power safety settings or executes PSPS events, affecting residents, critical facilities and businesses.
Xcel is using a wildfire spread model the…
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