Field Inspectors Support SoCal Wildfire Mitigation With Power System Upgrades

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports astonishing destruction from wildfires. In 2020 alone, the state experienced 9,917 wildfire incidents and 4,257,863 acres burned, caused by extreme drought and wind conditions.

Southern California Edison is reconstructing nearly 5,200 miles of distribution lines in the coming years, developing a more robust grid and reducing fire risk. The utility — a major electricity supplier in the region with a 14-million-person, 50,000-square-mile service area — is installing a covered conductor system as part of the grid-hardening program.

Covered conductors use special grades of materials that provide insulation and ultraviolet protection to the wire, and thus offer safety against accidental contact from trees that fall during fires or storms. Our construction services team observed and inspected SCE’s covered conductor installation, helping advance construction and protect communities.

To bring consistency in engineering and construction on such an expansive project, we supported SCE’s efforts to rewrite construction standards, develop specifications and train crews. Our programmatic approach paired field inspectors with back-end technical support, performing daily inspections and monitoring. To address anomalies with different site and equipment conditions, we worked hand-in-hand with SCE engineers to develop solutions that align with the newly established standards. Modifications to the standards were then incorporated as needed to address obstacles and opportunities for improvement.

Our responsibilities included tracking and reporting on covered conductor installation, fire-resistant poles, current-limiting fuses and lightning arrestors. We supported contractor request for information/change management by receiving and recording SCE’s responses and delivering the message to the construction crews.