PenLight implements a variety of year-round measures for wildfire prevention and preparedness, from proactive tree trimming near power lines to developing emergency response and recovery plans. Our comprehensive strategy includes:
Situational Awareness: We use risk modeling and real-time data to monitor and evaluate the electric system and its surrounding environment, focusing on conditions that heighten wildfire risk, such as strong winds, dry vegetation, and low humidity.
Grid Hardening Investments: Regular updates, targeted maintenance, and improvements to the electric system to further mitigate wildfire risks.
Operational Procedures: Establishing prevention measures and response strategies for operating our electric system during elevated wildfire risk periods.
Communication and Outreach: Integrating equity into our wildfire mitigation planning and execution.
Equity: Keeping customers and impacted communities engaged in our programs and providing timely communication during emergencies.
Our ongoing prevention and preparation efforts include:
Vegetation Management: We regularly inspect power lines throughout our service area to trim or remove trees and vegetation that could contact lines or equipment, which may cause outages or sparks.
System Hardening Projects: Upgrading and replacing equipment to enhance the safety and reliability of our electric system. This includes:
– Replacing poles, wires, and other infrastructure
– Installing “tree wire” in high wildfire risk areas
– Adding devices for greater operational flexibility
Strategic Undergrounding: As part of our commitment to reducing wildfire risk, we may relocate some power lines underground. This approach improves resilience and lessens the impact of proactive outage events in high-risk areas.
Proactive and Reactive Power Outages: During wildfire season, we take proactive steps to ensure safety while balancing reliability, which may lead to power outages as a preventive measure.
Through these initiatives, PenLight is dedicated to protecting our communities from wildfire threats.
Click to Read PenLight's Wildfire Mitigation Plan (PDF) Click to Learn about SafetyFirst ModeLocal Resources:
Peninsula Emergency Preparedness Coalition (PEP-C)
Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One (Preparedness Workshops)
