The Board reviews WMPs submitted by the POUs and electrical cooperatives and provides comments and advisory opinions to improve wildfire mitigation efforts. The Board also serves as a forum for the public to provide input on wildfire safety activities.

Each year, WSAB focuses its advisory opinions on areas of importance for the WMPs of the state’s 51 publicly owned utilities and electrical cooperatives. Risk identification and preemptive de-energization are the focus areas for the 2025 advisory opinions. Identifying and prioritizing wildfire risk is the foundation for reducing that risk. Preemptive de-energization is an important tool that utilities may employ to reduce wildfire risk. Preemptive de-energization plans can help utilities make decisions and reduce the impacts of a de-energization.

The Board also adopted a new schedule for POUs and electrical cooperatives to follow in submitting their WMPs. Under a new law, POUs and electrical cooperatives must submit plans at least once every four years, on a schedule determined by the Board. The new schedule sets forth considerations for differences in reporting frequency, rotating submissions, and opportunities for early collaborative exchanges for WMP submissions from 2026 to 2029.

More information can be found on the Board’s Publicly Owned Utilities docket log.

Release of the draft initiates a 21-day public comment period, with comments due by October 31, 2025 via the docket or emailed to wsab@energysafety.ca.gov. More information can be found on WSAB’s Publicly Owned Utilities docket log.

Each year, WSAB focuses their advisory opinions on areas of importance for the Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMP) of the state’s 51 publicly owned utilities (POU) and electrical cooperatives. Risk identification and pre-emptive deenergization (PSPS) are the focus areas for the 2025 advisory opinions. Identifying wildfire risk is a foundational component to understanding how to reduce that risk and to manage decision-making and longer-term planning. PSPS is an important tool, when managed wisely, that utilities may employ to reduce wildfire risk

During its regular business meeting in Merced, the Board adopted nine recommendations that include requiring investor-owned utilities to test and compare multiple wildfire spread models, report results using the correct number of significant figures, and measure WMP effectiveness by using the number of fires started.  Board members and staff developed the recommendations through interviews with experts, reviewing research, and by analyzing the most effective options.

The Board published draft recommendations for public comment on April 22 and responded to the comments it received in the adopted recommendations.

The Board provides annual recommendations, as required by statute (PUC 8389), for Energy Safety’s consideration on requirements for WMPs, performance metrics, and its safety culture assessment process. The Board reviews WMPs submitted by publicly owned utilities and provides comments and advisory opinions to improve wildfire mitigation efforts. The Board also serves as an additional forum for the public to provide input on wildfire safety activities.

SACRAMENTO – The Wildfire Safety Advisory Board (Board) today adopted an advisory opinion for publicly owned electrical utilities (POU) to follow in the development of their Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMP). The 11 adopted recommendations include highlighting POU progress and achievements, making WMPs digitally accessible, and adding descriptions of quality control/assurance programs in their WMPs.

To develop these recommendations, the Board’s POU Issues Committee met with the POUs six times during the spring of this year. The committee then presented a staff report to the Board at its June meeting. The recommendations in the advisory opinion were developed collaboratively between the Board and the POUs.

On October 11, the Board released the draft advisory opinion for public comment. Public adoption of the advisory opinion follows incorporation of these public comments.

The Board reviews WMPs submitted by the POUs and electrical cooperatives and provides comments and advisory opinions to improve wildfire mitigation efforts. The Board also serves as an additional forum for the public to provide input on wildfire safety activities.

More information can be found on the Board’s Publicly Owned Utilities docket log.

The WSAB published draft recommendations in April and public comment was taken between April 19 and May 2. Public comments were incorporated into the draft recommendations, and the board voted to adopt its final recommendations to Energy Safety.

The WSAB provides annual recommendations, as required by statute (PUC 8389), for Energy Safety’s consideration on requirements for WMPs, performance metrics, and its safety culture assessment process.

Stakeholders may submit written comments for the Board’s review and consideration by submitting to the E-Filing docket 2025-WSAB-WMP-GPSCA or by emailing them to wsab@energysafety.ca.gov. Written comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. on May 2, 2024.

Comments and materials received as public comment will, in full, become part of the public record.

Stakeholders may submit written comments before the Dec. 4, 2023 Board meeting for the Board’s review and consideration by submitting to the E-Filing docket 2024-WSAB-POU-WMP or by emailing them to wsab@energysafety.ca.gov. Written comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2023.

Comments will also be accepted during the upcoming Board meeting on Dec. 4, 2023 at 9 a.m. (Note – details on how to submit comments during the meeting will be in the notice and agenda for the meeting, which will be posted later).

Comments and materials received as public comment will, in full, become part of the public record.