Based in Salt Lake City, Rocky Mountain Power is a utility that provides energy to homes and businesses across Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. A division of PacifiCorp, the company is committed to providing safe, reliable, and resilient energy.
Resiliency is perhaps the biggest focus in response to natural disasters and climate events that have caused catastrophic power outages worldwide in recent years. Rocky Mountain has emphasized grid hardening and system strengthening to ensure power stays on, stating that “From wildfires to winter storms, our grid is built to stand strong.” For example, the utility invested heavily in wildfire prevention strategies. Using aerial and ground patrols, it searches for trees and vegetation that may come into contact with power lines and prunes or removes them as needed. It also upgrades fuses, relays, and reclosers, and installs fire-resistant poles to minimize the risk of sparks starting fires. In fire high consequence areas (FHCAs), Rocky Mountain even buries lines underground.
A network of weather stations and a Wildfire Intelligence Center enable teams to consistently monitor weather and conditions in service areas, leveraging technology such as AI cameras and social listening. These insights help the company to make decisions more quickly, such as conducting a public safety power shutoff, turning on enhanced safety settings, or enacting emergency de-energization. In the case of a power outage, Rocky Mountain works around the clock to restore power to transmission lines, substations, distribution lines, and eventually homes and businesses.
Photo Courtesy Rocky Mountain Power…