Major utility company tests new method for preventing wildfires: 'It's basically fixing the airplane while it's flying'
In the future, fires in Los Angeles may happen much less often thanks to a technology tested by Southern California Edison, L.A.'s primary utility provider, designed to keep downed power lines from igniting fires.
IEEE Spectrum reported that the electric company has been testing the technology — a protective device installed on power lines called a Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter — since 2020 with positive results.
The utility tested the technology in four wildfire-prone areas and found that, compared to Edison's traditional systems, the fault neutralizer prevented nearly 100% of the electricity from ground faults from being released.
The power diverter detects short circuits in power lines and cuts power to fallen lines, significantly lowering the risk of a fire starting and preventing large-scale blackouts.
Since electrical equipment has been linked to several devastating wildfires in California over the last few years (though the cause of the recent fires is still under investigation), electric companies and engineers have been exploring grid-hardening technologies to reduce the risk of wildfires.
SoCal Edison started testing REFCL technology after Australian utility companies launched a research and development program in 2009 following destructive bushfires caused by a downed power line.
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REFCLs are one of many solutions being investigated to prevent wildfires from spreading. Others include artificial intelligence-powered software, stricter fire regulations requiring homeowners to clear vegetation, and more frequent controlled burns.
Power diverters may have kept the recent L.A. fires from becoming so intense, but SoCal Edison has yet to deploy its system on a large scale, likely because it's still being tested. According to the Edison Electric Institute, the utility has installed the quick-shutoff devices on hundreds of miles of powerlines so far.
Jesse Rorabaugh, a senior engineer at SCE, told EEI, "At the first sign of trouble, it redirects voltage away from the impacted conductor. This technology is an example of SCE trying to get to the point that even when bad things happen, the power lines aren't releasing enough energy to cause ignitions."
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While grid upgrades such as REFCLs are expensive and would result in higher energy bills, the tradeoff would be improved safety during wildfire season — something most customers probably wouldn't object to.
These wildfire prevention technologies will likely become even more necessary as our warming planet increases the threat of destructive fires, especially in areas such as L.A. that are already naturally prone to fires. Engineers and utilities are trying to stay one step ahead with wildfire-proof technologies as the world scrambles to adapt to the rapidly changing climate.
Masood Parvania, an electrical engineer at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, told IEEE Spectrum, "It's basically fixing the airplane while it's flying."
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Major utility company tests new method for preventing wildfires: 'It's basically fixing the airplane while it's flying' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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