Missouri utility regulators are gathering information on wildfire risks to 鈥� and from 鈥� electric and gas infrastructure.
In March, dry air and high winds created perfect conditions for a number of wildfires to start across Missouri.
Rich Germinder is a senior adviser to the Missouri Public Service Commission and said regulators are trying to assess what risks wildfires pose to the state鈥檚 utilities 鈥� and whether the energy companies are prepared.
鈥淚t finally reached the point where the Commission believed it was necessary to gather further information from our utilities on, number one, what do you have on the books? And then how did you respond to the events that we saw in March? What's your ability to respond going forward?鈥� Germinder said.
State utility regulators have opened a case to study the issue. The Missouri Public Service commission has specifically from investor-owned electric and gas utilities serving Missouri on strategies to prevent wildfires 鈥� as well as how the companies plan to respond when they occur.
鈥淥nce we've gathered this information, we really hope to use that to develop best practices and from there make sure each one of our utilities has a plan in place that is based off of these best practices,鈥� said Jamie Myers, an adviser to the chair of the state commission 鈥� which is made up of five commissioners appointed by the governor.
Germinder said the case study was partly prompted by credit rating agencies' interest in 鈥渨ildfires and their ability to impact utility operations.鈥�
Despite the fires earlier this year, the federal Emergency Management Agency puts most in the 鈥渞elatively moderate鈥� or 鈥渞elatively low鈥� risk category for wildfires.
Trees, shrubs and other vegetation growing around power lines are maintained by energy companies to decrease such incidents. Additionally, natural disasters can damage infrastructure and lead to power outages.
鈥淲e're asking the investor-owned utilities we regulate 鈥� that is electric and natural gas utilities 鈥� to tell us what their contingency plans are in case of wildfires. Helping prevent the wildfires and also helping manage what happens during wildfires,鈥� said Forrest Gossett, Missouri Public Service Commission communications director.
鈥淚f you have a wildfire, are there provisions in place to shut the gas off in time so it doesn't become more fuel for the fire?鈥� he said.
While investor-owned utilities companies in Missouri are required to participate in the case study, Gossett said the commission is also inviting input from the state鈥檚 electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and the public.
鈥淭his a very important process for us and we want to give the public the assurance that we're committed to mitigating the risk of wildfires,鈥� Gossett said.
The Missouri Public Service Commission is accepting public comment on utility service and wildfire risks through June 30.
