Pasadena Water and Power
APPROVAL OF THE WATER AND POWER
DEPARTMENT’S 2025 WILDFIRE MITIGATION
PLAN
June 9, 2025
Item 12
Pasadena Water and Power
Background
• PWP's Wildfire Mitigation Plan (“WMP”)
proactively reduces Wildfire Risk from
electrical infrastructure.
• City Council annually approves WMP
updates; PWP oversees implementation
(Since 2019).
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Goals of the WMP
• Proactively prevent wildfire ignition from PWP
electric systems.
• Strengthen electric grid resilience for
enhanced stability.
• Drive service reliability and restoration with
innovative technologies.
• Continuously optimize wildfire mitigation
through data-driven adaptation.
3 Pasadena Water and Power
PWP Fire Threat Map
4 • PWP’s WMP utilizes
CPUC’s High Fire Threat
District (HFTD) map
• Cal Fire has recently
published a new Fire
Hazard Severity Zone
(FHSZ) map, which has
not been adopted by
CPUC.
Pasadena Water and Power
Completed Projects
• PWP has completed several key projects to harden the
electrical distribution system to include:
> Installed 34,000 feet of covered conductors in Tier 2 Elevated Fire Risk Areas to enhance safety.
> Replaced 100 poles in Tier 2 Elevated Fire Risk Areas. Many with durable sectional composite poles.
> Converted 2,000 feet of high-voltage overhead electric system in Millard Canyon (Tier 3 Extreme Fire Risk) to low voltage, reducing fire risk.
> Proactively inspected and repaired 548 poles in Tier 2 Elevated Fire Risk Areas, ahead of the GO165 schedule.
> Enhanced vegetation management program in Tier 2 and 3 area
5 Pasadena Water and Power
Ongoing and Future Projects
• Targeted pole and transformer upgrades in Tier 2 Fire Threat Areas, based on recent inspection and modeling
data.
• Enhanced vegetation management program in Tier 2
and 3 area
• Accelerated undergrounding of high-voltage lines in
Canyon Close Rd. & Fox Ridge Dr. (Tier 3 Extreme Fire
Risk) in FY 2026.
• Accelerated undergrounding of high voltage lines in
Florecita & Crestford Dr. (Tier 3 Extreme Fire Risk) in FY 2026.
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Ongoing and Future Projects
• Underground expansion projects in the Upper Hastings
Ranch area to provide underground feeds to Thomas
and Don Bonito Reservoirs. Targeting FY 2027
completion
• Evaluating undergrounding of additional Tier 2 areas. • Initiating Public Safety Power Shutoff Program
Evaluation (RFP for Third-Party Analysis).
7 Pasadena Water and Power
2025 WMP Update
• California Public Utilities Code (“CPUC”) 8387
mandates annual WMP submissions to Wildfire
Safety Advisory Board (“WSAB”) for review of
current fire mitigation strategies.
• 2025 WMP aligns with 2024 plan and follows
WSAB recommendations.
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Recommendation
• Approve the 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan
as the operating manual for wildfire risk
mitigation, fulfilling CPUC 8387
requirements.
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Fiscal Impact
• No fiscal impact.
• No impact on other programs or projects.
• No impact on General Fund.
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