A new state law is sparking a change at Flathead Electric Cooperative and other utilities, affecting how the organizations prepare for catastrophic wildfire.

The co-op, which services about 3,000 square miles in Northwest Montana, recently revamped its wildfire mitigation plan to adhere to new standards passed by the state Legislature earlier this year.  

Introduced by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, House Bill 490 required utilities to prepare and follow a wildfire mitigation plan detailing the company’s strategies for inspecting and updating electric facilities and maintaining vegetation in utility rights-of-way. Utilities that “substantially follow” a state-approved wildfire mitigation plan may not be civilly liable for damages resulting from a wildfire.  

The bill received bipartisan support in both houses and was signed into law on May 13. 

“I welcome the statewide conversation,” said Courtney Stone, the media and communications supervisor for the co-op. “Talking about things that are hard makes us stronger.” 

Equipment failures in the electric grid started more than 5,000 fires and burned 4.15 million acres between 1992 and 2024, according to a study conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. That count includes such devastating blazes as the 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas and the 2023 Hawaii wildfires, both linked to broken power lines. 

To date, the co-op's equipment has not been linked to any large wildfires, and Stone said the utility is working hard to keep it that way. In 2021, the co-op adopted its first wildfire mitigation plan, which Stone characterized as a “formalization of stuff we’ve always done, to an extent.” Since then, the plan has received annual updates, but the passing of HB 490 necessitated a more drastic overhaul. 

On July 24, the co-op released a draft version of the revamped plan.  

“Operationally, nothing’s changed,” said Amanda Opp, who oversees the co-op's vegetation management program. 

Per the draft plan, vegetation near power lines will be trimmed about once every 10 years. That frequency was recommended by an independent consultant, said Opp, because most tree species in the co-op's coverage area are slow-growing evergreens. To supplement regular vegetation maintenance and inspections, the co-op uses annual satellite imagery scans to identify individual hazard trees and areas where overgrown vegetation creates increased fire danger. 

Poles are inspected on a 10-year cycle and substations on a monthly cycle, according to the wildfire mitigation plan. Specialized equipment, such as insulated jumpers and fiberglass cross-arms, will be installed in areas that face increased risk of wildfire. 

In addition to the vegetation management and equipment maintenance strategies, state law now requires utilities to detail “strategies and methods for de-energizing power lines and modifying electric facility operations to mitigate potential wildfires.”  

The practice of proactively cutting power during extreme wildfire conditions originated in California in 2008. Since then, so-called public safety power shutoffs have gained some popularity as a wildfire prevention technique. In 2024, utilities in Idaho, Colorado and Hawaii all implemented public safety power shutoffs. 

While the co-op stated it was “monitoring public safety power shutoff implementation,” the draft plan does not include any concrete steps to implement the practice. Instead, the co-op argues that preventative power outages would disrupt emergency response systems and “add an element of chaos” to potentially dangerous weather scenarios situations by disrupting emergency response systems. 

“The cooperative believes that the risk of implementing a public safety power shutoff far outweigh the chances that the cooperative’s electric system would cause a wildfire,” reads the draft plan. 

The co-op is now gathering public input on the wildfire mitigation plan, per the new state guidelines.  

“It’s foolish to think you couldn’t improve on something, so I’m really hoping people take the time to read [the plan] and understand it and provide input,” said Opp. 

A public meeting regarding the plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 19 at the Flathead Electric Cooperative Community Room located at 2510 U.S. Highway 2 East in Kalispell. 

Public comment on the plan can be submitted on the co-op's website through Sept. 6.  

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].