2024 Wildfire Mitigation for Utilities Conference
February 6-7, 2024 | Irwindale, CA and Online
“The caliber of guest speakers and their presentations is unrivaled. Details of historical, present, and future strategies and technologies employed were covered, including deep dives into forecasting modeling. This is a must for individuals in the utility industry to keep up with wildfire mitigation strategies!” Electrical Engineer, California Department of Water Resources
“Really enjoyed hearing the lessons learned from other utilities in the west and things they are doing to move the wildfire and PSPS programs forward.” Project Manager, EWEB
“Good event for getting up to date on the impact of wildfires on the electrical systems of the western U.S.” Vegetation Supervisor, Pacificorp
In 2023, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports a staggering 50,015 wildfires scorching more than 2.5 million acres across the United States. Electric utilities operating in wildfire-prone regions face escalating risks, making it imperative for them to adopt comprehensive strategies to minimize their exposure and financial liabilities.
Join us at this crucial summit, where utility professionals and wildfire experts will discuss pressing issues, share insights, and chart a course for a more resilient future. At this event, you can expect:
- Regulatory Insights: Gain a deep understanding of regulatory perspectives on wildfire mitigation plans, enabling your utility to navigate the complex landscape more effectively.
- Wildfire Trends & Resilience Strategies: Stay informed about the latest wildfire trends and discover resilient strategies to fortify your utility to weather the storm.
- Wildland/Urban Interface & Vegetation Management Challenges: Explore the unique challenges posed by the wildland/urban interface and find innovative solutions for effective vegetation management.
- Technological Advancements: Stay at the forefront of wildfire mitigation with insights into the latest technological advancements to bolster your utility’s defenses.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to safeguard your utility’s future. Register now to secure your spot at the forefront of wildfire mitigation in the utility sector.
Learning Outcomes
This conference will provide attendees an opportunity to:
- Discuss regulatory views of successful utility wildfire mitigation plans
- Demonstrate best practices on how to revise wildfire mitigation plans based on lessons learned from the latest wildfire season
- Examine strategies for grid hardening, situational awareness, and vegetation management
- Identify lessons learned from case studies of recent wildfires
- Explore new and traditional ways of forecasting and planning for wildfire risk
- Review best practices for public safety power shutoff events
- Discuss how to collaborate with customers, community groups, federal agencies and other stakeholders to stay ahead of impending disasters
- Detail current undergrounding projects
- Discover how utilities can best position themselves to receive funding from grant programs
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 : Pacific Time
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast / Online Login
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Group Lunch
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Conference Timing
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. :: Welcome Message
Ray Fugere, Director, Wildfire Safety, SCE
9:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Panel Discussion: Regulatory Objectives for Effective Wildfire Mitigation Plans
Regulators from various states and British Columbia come together to outline the key objectives they seek in comprehensive utility wildfire mitigation plans. As we prepare for the upcoming fire season, it is essential for utilities to craft clear action plans and ensure they contribute to enhanced resilience. This session will delve into the specifics of successful mitigation objectives and goals.
Moderator: Caroline Thomas-Jacobs, Director, Office of Energy Infrastructure & Safety, State of California
David Morton, Former Commissioner, British Columbia Utilities Commission
Eric Anderson, Commissioner, Idaho Public Utilities Commission
Heidi Caswell, Safety Division Administrator, Oregon Public Utility Commission
Tom Plant, Commissioner, Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Thad LeVar, Commission Chair, Utah Public Service Commission
Nick Myers, Commissioner, Arizona Corporation Commission
10:45 – 11:15 a.m. :: Networking Break
11:15 – 11:45 a.m. :: Wildfire Trends and the Road to Resilience
Explore the evolving landscape of wildfires in the U.S. as indices suggest an increased frequency and severity of fires. This session focuses on the imperative for utilities to create action plans to combat the growing wildfire threats and build greater resilience.
Shaun Gahagan, Program Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric
11:45 – 12:15 p.m. :: System Hardening & Undergrounding – PG&E’s Strategies
In this session, an expert from Pacific Gas & Electric shares insights into their strategies for enhancing the resilience of their grid and offers a glimpse into their ongoing project implementations.
Matt Pender, Sr. Director, Undergrounding Strategy & Program, PG&E
12:15 – 1:00 p.m. :: Group Luncheon
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. :: Public Safety Power Shutoffs and Effective Outage Management
Explore the critical considerations in incorporating Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) into utility wildfire mitigation plans. During severe wildfire threats, investor-owned utilities have the authority to shut off electric power as a last-resort preventative measure. Key factors such as timeline, considerations, precautions, and communication strategies before, during, and after PSPS will be discussed.
Jonathan Woldemarium, Director of Wildfire Mitigation & Vegetation Management, San Diego Gas & Electric
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. :: Addressing Wildland/Urban Interface Challenges and Vegetation Management
The increasing development in wildland/urban interface areas poses heightened risks and escalating suppression costs. Vegetation management is crucial and is one of the largest expense items in maintaining overhead transmission and distribution systems. This panel brings together experts in Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) and vegetation management to explore best practices in mitigating wildfire risks, considering variations in clearance requirements across states.
Chief Don Turner, WUI Expert, Fire Institute, Cal Poly
Dave DeLange, Vegetation Manager, Trinity Public Utilities District
2:15 – 2:45 p.m. :: Networking Break
2:45 – 4:30 p.m. :: Technological Advancements and Tools for Enhanced Wildfire Management
This session showcases the latest technologies and tools designed to simplify forecasting, operational decision-making, and modeling fire behavior. Presentations and case studies will highlight innovative solutions for more effective wildfire management.
David Buckley, VP & COO, Technosylva
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 : Pacific Time
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast / Online Login
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Conference Timing
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. :: Best Practices for Wildfire Mitigation
Join utility professionals and thought leaders as they share their best practices and insights on infrastructure & grid enhancements aimed at reducing wildfire risks. Learn from their experiences in deploying strategies to bolster wildfire mitigation.
Denton McGregor, Sr. Manager Reliability Center, Black Hills Energy
Jordan Ambrogi, Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager, CORE
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. :: Networking Break
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. :: Leveraging Technology for Smarter Wildfire Management
Discover the latest advancements in technology and tools that are revolutionizing the way utilities forecast, make operational decisions, and model fire behavior. This session presents cutting-edge solutions for optimizing wildfire management.
11:30 – 12:00 p.m. :: Operational Excellence in Fire Prevention
While significant enhancements in system design play a vital role in minimizing wildfire threats, this session emphasizes the importance of operational procedures, supplemental inspections, and maintenance work. Explore the evolving culture of utility operations and gain insights into best practices for day-to-day operations.
Craig Hart, Principal Manager, Wildfire Operations, SCE
Dan Nunez, Manager, Wildfire Planning, Portland General
12:00 p.m. :: Conference Adjourns
Jordan Ambrogi, Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager, CORE
Eric Anderson, Commissioner, Idaho Public Utilities Commission
David Buckley, VP & COO, Technosylva
Heidi Caswell, Safety Division Administrator, Oregon Public Utility Commission
Dave DeLange, Vegetation Manager, Trinity Public Utilities District
Shaun Gahagan, Program Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric
Ray Fugere, Director, Wildfire Safety, SCE
Craig Hart, Principal Manager, Wildfire Operations, SCE
Thad LeVar, Commission Chair, Utah Public Service Commission
Denton McGregor, Sr. Manager Reliability Center, Black Hills Energy
David Morton, Former Commissioner, British Columbia Utilities Commission
Nick Myers, Commissioner, Arizona Corporation Commission
Dan Nunez, Manager, Wildfire Planning, Portland General
Matt Pender, Sr. Director, Undergrounding Strategy & Program, PG&E
Tom Plant, Commissioner, Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Caroline Thomas-Jacobs, Director, Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, State of California
Chief Don Turner, WUI Expert, Fire Institute, Cal Poly
Jonathan Woldemarium, Director of Wildfire Mitigation & Vegetation Management, San Diego Gas & Electric

Energy Education Center – Irwindale
6090 Irwindale Ave
Irwindale, CA 91702
Nearby Hotels
Embassy Suites by Hilton – Arcadia/Pasadena
211 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 445-8525
6 miles from host location
Hilton Garden Inn Arcadia/Pasadena
199 N 2nd Ave, Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 574-6900
6 miles from host location
DoubleTree by Hilton Monrovia/Pasadena
924 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 357-1900
5 miles from host location
Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Pasadena/Monrovia
700 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 357-5211
5 miles from host location
Suggested Airports
Please Note: Confirmed speakers do not need to register and are encouraged to participate in all sessions of the event. If you are a speaker and have any questions please contact our offices at 1.303.770.8800
REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:
2024 Wildfire Mitigation for Utilities Conference
February 6-7, 2024 | Irwindale, CA
Individual attendee(s) - $ 1495.00 each(early bird rate) (price after January 19, 2024 is $ 1,695.00) |
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- OR - I choose to attend remotely | ||
Individual remote connections(s) - $ 1495.00 each(early bird rate) (price after January 19, 2024 is $ 1,695.00) |
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Volume pricing available for remote connectionsIndividual attendee tickets can be mixed with ticket packs for complete flexibility |
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Pack of 5 attendees - $ 5,980.00 (20% discount) | ||
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Pack of 10 attendees - $ 10,465.00 (30% discount) | ||
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Pack of 20 attendees - $ 17,940.00 (40% discount) | ||
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Buy 4 in-person seats and only pay for 3! For this event every fourth in-person attendee is free!
Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before December 29, 2023 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800
Credits
EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.
EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.8 CEUs conference.
Requirements for Successful Completion of Program
Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.
Instructional Methods
Case Studies, Panel Discussions and PowerPoint presentations will be used in the program.
Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.
Conference CPE Credits: 9.5
There is no prerequisite for this event.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Live
Advanced Preparation: None
EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org
Who Should Attend
Individuals working in the following areas will benefit from attending this event:
- Electric Utility Leaders
- Utility Risk Management Professionals
- Utility Grid Planning and Operations Specialists
- Utility Transmission and Field Services Personnel
- State and Federal Agencies
- Mitigation Specialists
- Policy Makers
- Researchers
- Corporate Communications Specialists
- Insurers
- Consultants
- Fire Prevention & Mitigation Technology Providers
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