Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act reintroduced in Congress

U.S. Rep Norma J. Torres (D-CA) announced Tuesday she had reintroduced legislation that would develop technologies to mitigate wildfire-related electrical grid damage.

The Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act would allocate $10 million to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to mitigate wildfire damage and authorize the Secretary of Energy to provide grants to the DOE National Laboratories for projects that would protect power grids from fire damage, monitor vegetation management and protect first responders.

“Californians deserve a government that’s actively working to protect them from wildfires. Last year, there were more than 7,000 wildfires in California alone. As our state faces droughts and record-breaking heat waves, wildfires pose an outsized threat to the Inland Empire. Congress must provide the necessary resources to keep our communities safe,” Torres said. “This means ensuring that our power grids can withstand damage from increasingly frequent and severe fires. My legislation helps California families and businesses stay safe during and after these disasters.”

Since 2021, Congress has held hearings on the intersection between the electric grid and wildfires, focusing on the risk to climate change poses on the energy infrastructure. High winds, storm surges and lightning can cause damage to the energy infrastructure, as can wildfires. Climate change, may experts say, has impacted the frequency of wildfires as temperatures rise, while forests and soils stay dryer longer.

The bill was introduced on May 23 and sent to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Torres previously led a resolution with more than 30 members of Congress to recognize Wildfire Preparedness Week.