ATCO's Preparation for the 2025 Wildfire Season
Wildfires pose a significant threat to the communities and energy infrastructure ATCO serves. For ATCO, ensuring public safety, protecting our infrastructure, and preventing prolonged outages through proactive wildfire mitigation is paramount. We are dedicated to safeguarding the resilience of our energy systems and the well-being of the communities we serve.
As we approach the 2025 wildfire season, our preparation strategy includes several key initiatives:
Fire Mesh Program
As of 2024, ATCO has wrapped over 35,000 transmission poles and over 75,000 distribution poles to protect them from wildfires. Fire protective wrap is a coated wire mesh applied around wood power poles to protect them from fire damage. When activated by fire, it reacts, acting as a physical barrier isolating the wood pole from the air. Without air, the wood pole cannot burn. Typically installed up to a height of 2.5 meters and extending about 50 centimeters below ground, this mesh has shown to be effective in protecting ATCO Electric’s power poles during previous wildfires.
Non-Flammable Materials
Our ATCO Gas valve and station sites are now designed and constructed with non-flammable materials, such as chain-link fences, gravel areas, and tin/concrete structures, to enhance their resilience and protect these sites during extreme weather events.
Enhanced Vegetation Management
Our Right of Way Widening program proactively removes hazardous vegetation near critical clearance zones around ATCO’s infrastructure. We also actively participate in FireSmart programs, which focus on community-based solutions to mitigate wildfire risks. Additionally, ATCO Electric is leveraging advanced remote sensing technology to strengthen our vegetation management practices. By combining high-resolution imagery, LiDAR data, and AI processing, we can identify tree species, height, and growth rates adjacent to powerlines. This allows us to detect decaying trees, assess clearance, and model potential risks. Our proactive approach helps prevent wildfires and power outages, ensuring a safer environment.
Cross Arm Replacement Program
We are prioritizing the replacement of aging infrastructure in high-risk areas. By replacing end-of-life wood cross arm electrical poles with steel and upgrading insulators on transmission and distribution lines, we enhance the reliability of the power supply, strengthen the electrical grid, prevent outages, and reduce the risk of wildfires.
Incident Command System (ICS)
ATCO has robust Incident Management Plans that enable us to rapidly mobilize and sustain a coordinated response during wildfires. Our enterprise-wide Crisis Management Committee monitors incidents that could escalate into crises, allowing us to quickly ramp up our response. We work closely with firefighters and municipalities during emergencies to ensure a unified and effective approach to wildfire management. Regular testing and training further enhance our emergency response capabilities.
Supply Chain Readiness
We collaborate closely with our supply chain and procurement teams to ensure that the necessary materials are available at service points and regional locations for rapid deployment during a crisis.
Labour Planning
We have ramped up training of our staff to ensure we have sufficient support for the upcoming wildfire season.
Building Jasper Back Stronger
ATCO has undertaken significant efforts to rebuild and enhance the resilience of the Jasper area:
Infrastructure Improvements
A major electrical feed serving areas south of Jasper, including Alpine Lodge and nearby cabins, was replaced with non-combustible composite poles and Hendrix conductors. Our Electric teams repaired or replaced 116 structures, addressed 440 damaged assets, and made significant design improvements.
Marmot Basin Undergrounding Project
We installed nearly eight kilometers of new underground line to energize the Marmot Basin ski hill, a crucial facility for Jasper's economy and tourism industry. This project enhances reliability, mitigates wildfire risks, and minimizes environmental impact within Jasper National Park.
Commitment to Resilience and Innovation
ATCO's response to the Jasper wildfire exemplifies our commitment to proactive solutions and investment in infrastructure to withstand and recover from extreme weather events. As we look ahead at our energy systems, we understand the critical need to build infrastructure to a standard of resiliency and highlight our shared obligation to make our communities as safe as possible.
Safety
Be sure to watch our wildfire preparedness videos below, where you'll find information on how to stay safe and energy-efficient during the summer months.
