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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Annual Update to Glendale Water and Power’s (GWP’s) Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
1. Resolution adopting Annual Update to Glendale Water and Power’s (GWP’s) Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for June 25, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Glendale and the Glendale Water & Power Department (GWP) recognize the potential loss of property and human life posed by wildfires is a growing concern.
GWP has developed, implemented, and maintained a formal Wildfire Mitigation Plan (“WMP” or “Plan”) since 2019, as required by Senate Bill (SB) 901. The objective of GWP’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan is to engineer, construct, maintain, and operate the GWP electric transmission and distribution system in a manner intended to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire caused by electrical lines and equipment.
GWP’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan describes solutions to mitigate the risk of wildfires ignited by its electrical assets. The plan focuses on two elements - ignition and spread - which together lead to a wildfire. GWP's efforts prioritize mitigating electrical assets that could ignite a wildfire in high-wildfire danger service areas of the City of Glendale. The plan aims to reduce the likelihood of ignition by adopting a risk-based methodology to prioritize mitigation of electrical assets and equipment that could ignite a wildfire. It also details various potential solutions, such as enhanced vegetation management practices, expanded asset inspections, fast-acting automatic protection schemes, and more, to reduce the risk of igniting or spreading wildfires. Overall, the plan aims to comply with SB 901 and other related mandates and minimize the risk of igniting and spreading wildfires.
The City’s Wildfire Mitigation Committee, comprised of representatives from different City departments, meets quarterly, or as deemed necessary by the Committee, to measure the effectiveness of the program and to discuss additional implementation strategies to further enhance the program’s success. The Wildfire Mitigation Plan updates included herein are the result of the evolving strategies the City is implementing to reduce the risk of wildfires within the City of Glendale. 2{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the annual update to GWP’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
ANALYSIS
California Senate Bill 102, SB 901, and Assembly Bill (AB) 111 require electric utilities to maintain a formal Wildfire Mitigation Plan (“WMP” or “Plan”) that includes the utility’s strategies and plans to mitigate against catastrophic wildfires. SB 901 requires publicly owned utilities, including GWP, to (1) prepare such a plan, (2) have the plan reviewed by a qualified independent evaluator to assess comprehensiveness, (3) present the plan in a noticed public meeting, (4) have the plan adopted, and (5) update the plan annually thereafter.
GWP’s Plan considers and includes all required and necessary elements of SB 901 including, but not limited to, an accounting of responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the Plan, a description of preventive strategies and programs to minimize the risk of its electrical equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, protocols for de-energizing portions of the electrical distribution system, and its plans for vegetation management. Per SB 901, a third-party independent evaluator is needed every three years for the comprehensive review of the Plan. Last year, staff updated the plan comprehensively and contracted with Navigant Consulting, Inc., to review and assess the comprehensiveness of the Plan and incorporated the recommendations from the assessments in finalizing the Plan. The Navigant report confirms that GWP’s Plan meets all regulatory requirements.
The 2024 annual update to the Wildfire Mitigation Plan (see Exhibit 1), includes projects completed to mitigate the risk of wildfire, general statistics about GWP’s service territory, and updates to the following sections:
Objectives
•Implementation of infrared and LIDAR imaging for the inspection of power facilities and vegetation management.
•Additional power line clearance tree trimming measures to clear vegetation from the communication level to the top of the pole.
•Outline strategies to engineer, construct, and operate the electric transmission and distribution system in a manner to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire caused by electrical lines and equipment.
•Improving the resiliency of GWP’s energy generation and delivery infrastructure.
Preventive Strategies and Programs
•Enhanced vegetation management practices.
•Expanded asset inspections.
•Broken conductor protection.
•Use of non-wood poles in wildfire areas; Conduct advanced (radiographic) pole inspections.
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•Increased wind loading calculation for poles in threat areas to increase integrity. •Wider spacing on cross-arms; Modified construction standards in the Fire Threat Zone.
•Stronger, composite material cross arms. Cross-arms made of stronger, composite material.
The City of Glendale’s Wildfire Mitigation Committee, comprised of members from multiple departments, meets yearly or more often if necessary to evaluate the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, discuss legislative changes impacting the plan, and propose additional strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the plan.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
Not Applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT
Applicable projects to implement the proposed Wildfire Mitigation Plan and the updates will cost approximately $100,000 which was approved as a part of the FY 2024-25 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time.
In addition, operational funds are allocated for the inspection program and tree trimming to increase the reliability and to mitigate risk of wildfire.
The City Council approved funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
Other Expenditures, Electric
Depreciation Fund, GWP, Projects,
Wildfire Mitigation Program
53300-5830-GWP-0020-
P0000-T0000-F3600
Project #GWP00653AA
$ 100,000
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This item is considered a ministerial activity and is not a project for the purposes of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and therefore, not subject to CEQA review.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
Not Applicable.
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ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Not to adopt the herein presented updates to the Plan, hereinafter known, and referred to as GWP Wildfire Mitigation Plan - Updated 2024, which will place the City in violation of SB 901.
Alternative 2: Consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Mark Young, General Manager - Glendale Water and Power
Prepared by:
Daniel Scorza, P.E., Assistant General Manager - Electric Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Wildfire Mitigation Plan - Updated 2024