Faulty utility equipment has been the source of devastating wildfires and was a possible factor in California’s deadly Eaton fire in January 2025. With Colorado’s fire season upon us, mitigation planning is top of mind for Colorado Springs Utilities.
Is undergrounding the answer?
Springs Utilities already has 70% of its electric distribution system underground because of a voter-approved initiative in the 1970s, which included new developments. In longer-established neighborhoods, undergrounding would cause significant disruption and out-of-pocket costs for homeowners.
“Those are some of the hidden consequences for retroactively undergrounding,” says Utilities spokesperson Steve Berry, who added undergrounding is not foolproof. “With an underground transmission or distribution line, you’re more protected from weather, wind and wildlife, but it’s not 100% guaranteed you won’t have challenges.”
For high-priority areas with historical data indicating underground benefits, Berry says it is something Utilities continuously explores.
Proactive shutoffs not a significant consideration
Xcel Energy made headlines last April when it conducted a public safety power shutoff to prevent fire from sparking during a severe windstorm. The shutoff was the first of its kind in Colorado and affected 55,000 customers in Boulder, Gilpin, Larimer, Douglas, Broomfield and Jefferson counties. More than 600 miles of lines were visually inspected before power was restored.
“It’s not something we’re really leaning toward because there are so many consequences to doing it,” Berry says. “Really knowing where and when to do a proactive shutoff is a bit of a wild card. … The restoration process is lengthy.”
Solutions that make sense for Colorado Springs
Berry says it’s important to understand each system presents unique topography, vegetation and wildlife challenges, and that Springs Utilities’ mitigation plan focuses on ongoing vegetation management and system “hardening.”
- The Pikes Peak region has unique vegetation challenges surrounding its electrical infrastructure. In 2025, Springs Utilities will invest $3.2 million as part of its ongoing vegetation management program.
- Between 2026 and 2029, Springs Utilities forecasts a $3.5 million annual investment in system-hardening projects such as covered conductors to help protect electric lines from vegetation and wildlife encroachment; possible pole upgrades; testing newer fuse technology to reduce sparking from normal operation; and remote reclosers, which allow the shut-off and isolation of a system’s vulnerable portions during a major weather event.
- On-site vegetation management assessments generally take place on a three-year cycle, and electric line patrols are conducted annually.Generally, equipment is on a five-year cycle for inspection, although Berry says inspections are more frequent for higher-risk areas.
Protecting the wildland-urban interface
The Waldo Canyon fire illustrated the vulnerabilities of our wildland-urban interface, and Springs Utilities collaborates with the U.S. Forest Service to mitigate fuel loads and reduce wildfire risk. Springs Utilities’ Jennifer Jordan says more than 7,000 acres of treatment took place just last year.
“You’re never going to entirely eliminate the risk of wildfire, but what we can do is work intentionally on reducing catastrophic fire from happening,” she says. “If a fire is sparked, we want to be able to quickly respond, contain it and limit the amount of damage it can do. Through these prescribed forest treatments, we’re able to do that.”
