Case Study: Xcel Energy Prevents Wildfire Risk with Gridware Active Grid Response

Fire Risk Escalates for Xcel Energy Across Diverse Terrain

Xcel Energy, a major utility serving Colorado, faced escalating wildfire risks due to drought and high winds. Their challenge was to detect physical grid hazards that do not cause electrical faults and therefore often go unnoticed, creating a dangerous delay in response. To address this, Xcel partnered with Gridware to pilot its Active Grid Response (AGR) technology.

Gridware's solution provided real-time detection of hazards by monitoring physical and environmental factors like vibration and pole tilt. This capability was proven when the system detected multiple failing poles during a high-wind event, allowing Xcel to dispatch a crew to de-energize the line and make repairs before a fire could start. Gridware's technology prevented a potential wildfire that was modeled to have grown to 3,200 acres and threatened 360 structures.

Xcel Energy