The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Sept. 11 said it will host a technical conference to discuss cost-effective ways to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the Bulk-Power System.
The event is planned in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 14308—Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response—issued on June 12, 2025.
The staff-led technical conference on wildfire mitigation will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time at FERC headquarters in Washington, D.C. A supplemental notice will be issued soon with additional details.
In addition to the conference, FERC directed the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to assess the need for new or revised Reliability Standards and to prepare a report on best practices to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the Bulk-Power System.
The report, due on May 1, 2026, must look at vegetation management, the removal of forest-hazardous fuels along transmission lines, improved engineering approaches, and safer operational practices.
NERC will also examine the value of known and emerging technologies to mitigate wildfire risks, such as predictive artificial intelligence and dynamic line rating sensors, and describe whether and how these technologies can be deployed while complying with existing Reliability Standards.
“I am pleased that we are taking a hard look at these critical issues,” FERC Chairman David Rosner said. “I look forward to working with our federal partners, technical experts, and utilities to develop real solutions to protect people and property from wildfires and to ensure all Americans benefit from a reliable and affordable electric system.”
The Commission also announced that its annual Commissioner-led Reliability Technical Conference to discuss policy issues on the reliability and security of the Bulk-Power System, also scheduled for October 21, 2025, will now be held from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30p.m.Eastern time.
