Industry leaders explore how collaboration, innovation, and proactive planning are shaping Alberta’s wildfire response
Women+Power, in collaboration with the Alberta Wildfire Utility Coalition, recently hosted a compelling virtual panel discussion: Wildfires and the Grid: Reducing Risk and Increasing Resiliency.
Moderated by Mike Shaw (ATCO), the conversation brought together Amanda Sadleir (AltaLink), Kate Hovland (ATCO), and Jennifer MacGowan (FortisAlberta) for an insightful look at how Alberta’s utilities are working together to address one of our province’s most pressing challenges – the growing threat of wildfires and their impact on communities, infrastructure, and the electricity system.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- The risk is real and rising. As Kate Hovland outlined, Alberta has seen a dramatic increase in wildfire activity. In 2018, the 5-year annual average was 234,000 hectares burned, and by 2024, this annual average had grown to well over 500,000 hectares. In 2023 alone, more than 2.2 million hectares, roughly 4.4 million CFL football fields, were affected. The consequences ripple far beyond the burn zones, affecting air quality, insurance premiums, and the cost of rebuilding critical utility infrastructure.
- Utilities are leading with innovation. Jennifer MacGowan shared how predictive technologies and infrastructure upgrades, from insulating wires to installing advanced protection devices, are helping utilities act earlier and more effectively. New situational awareness tools enable teams to anticipate high-risk conditions, mobilize crews in advance, and mitigate potential ignition sources before a wildfire starts.
- Collaboration is key. As Amanda Sadleir emphasized, as the owners and operators of the electric transmission and distribution networks in Alberta’s higher risk fire areas, AltaLink, ATCO, and FortisAlberta, are stronger together through the Alberta Wildfire Utility Coalition. The Coalition’s focus on prevention, resiliency, and coordinated response has led to shared working groups that exchange best practices, align strategies, and enhance emergency preparedness across organizations.
- Safety comes first. Sadleir also discussed one component of a comprehensive utility wildfire mitigation plan called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), a last-resort safety measure designed to protect people and communities. During dangerous weather conditions where the threat of a spark is extreme, power to impacted lines may be proactively turned off to prevent an ignition that could lead to a catastrophic wildfire. Each situation is unique and a range of conditions are continually monitored and assessed before a PSPS decision is made. Wildfire mitigation and response, including potential PSPS events, requires careful planning, coordination, and communication. Coalition members are committed to working closely with the customers and communities they serve, including municipalities and emergency management teams, to plan and test protocols and enhance emergency response plans.
Throughout the session, the panelists highlighted how shared learning, technology, and proactive planning are essential to keeping Albertans safe and keeping the lights on in an era of increasing wildfire risk.
💡 Missed the live event? The replay will be featured in our upcoming Women+Power newsletter.
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