New report and action plan aim to reduce grid reliability risks from wildfires

Wildfires are increasingly threatening electric reliability across North America and the communities that depend on a resilient bulk power system.  A new Wildfire Mitigation: Canadian Perspectives report identifies key actions to help industry address wildfire-related risks, while NERC’s new Wildfire Action Plan, filed today with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), outlines coordinated work to strengthen wildfire situational awareness, mitigation, engagement, and standards development over the next three years.

In recent decades, wildfires have grown in frequency, duration, and severity. These conditions make electric infrastructure more vulnerable, with an increased risk of outages, power line ignitions, and other disturbances.

The new report is based on discussions at the Canadian Wildfire Mitigation Workshop, held April 8–9, 2026 in Calgary, Alberta, and jointly convened by NERC and Electricity Canada. The workshop brought together electric utilities, reliability organizations, government agencies, researchers, and technology providers to discuss wildfire risks and potential mitigation approaches.

Read more at NERC