Wildfire Mitigation Plan Goes Before Council Monday Night

Pasadena Water & Power’s 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan goes before the City Council on Monday, seeking approval.

The June 9 ask follows a Municipal Services Committee review last month.

Required annually under California Public Utilities Code Section 8387, the plan outlines Pasadena Water and Power’s strategies to minimize wildfire risks from electrical infrastructure serving more than 140,000 residents across 763 miles of power lines.

The utility pointed to its perfect safety record of zero utility-caused fire ignitions from 2020-2024. The utility recorded only five wire-down incidents in 2023, mostly during winter storms with minimal fire risk, and zero in 2024.

Since 2016, Pasadena Water and Power has completed major infrastructure improvements including 33.26 miles of covered conductor installation costing $7.1 million, $15.7 million in distribution line undergrounding, and 33 wood-to-composite pole replacements valued at $1.9 million.

The utility serves 68,166 customer accounts across 23 square miles, with 14.40% of its territory in Tier 2 elevated fire threat areas and 7.07% in Tier 3 extreme risk zones. Approximately 75% of the distribution system already operates underground.

Current projects include $7.8 million in active fire mitigation work, with $4.23 million allocated for Tier 3 extreme risk areas and $3.5 million for Tier 2 elevated risk areas.

Recent accomplishments include installing 17,000 feet of covered conductors on Glen Oaks Boulevard in 2024 and 9,000 feet on Rosemont Avenue in 2023. Pasadena Water and Power also conducted focused inspections of 548 poles ahead of required schedules.

Upcoming projects include converting overhead power lines to underground systems in extreme fire risk areas along Canyon Close Road, Fox Ridge Drive, Florecita Drive and Crestford Drive, with construction planned through 2026.

Unlike some California utilities, Pasadena Water and Power does not currently implement preemptive power shutoffs during high fire risk periods, citing its urban service territory and decades of using covered conductors. However, the utility will explore developing a Public Safety Power Shutoff program in fiscal year 2026.