NEWS: As local wildfire threats intensify, Minnesota and Texas utilities are ramping up mitigation efforts.

In Minnesota: Summer wildfires have increased by 86% over the past three decades. And as in many states, MN utility planning hasn’t kept up with rising fire risks. That’s why the MN PUC has directed the state’s four regulated electric utilities—Dakota Electric Association, Minnesota Power, Otter Tail Power Company, and Xcel Energy—to develop and file their first-ever wildfire mitigation plans by Feb. 1, 2027. 

All hands on deck: MN utilities have previously lumped in wildfire prep with other distribution planning, but “rising wildfire risk now demands a clearer and more transparent approach,” the PUC wrote. New plans must include updated risk maps and data on the effectiveness of current mitigation practices, among other requirements.

And in Texas: After the state experienced its largest-recorded wildfire in 2024, TX passed a bill requiring electric utilities in wildfire risk areas to develop mitigation plans. This week, Xcel subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Company filed its plan with the Texas PUC. The company is proposing measures like “targeted” line undergrounding and AI-enabled cameras to detect fire activity.