20260729News Release.pdf

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Idaho Public Utilities Commission Brad Little, Gwen=
P.O. Banc 83720, Boise, D 83720-0074 Echvard ire,Preidfft
John R.Hammond, Jr,COmnu-6oner
Igly- Darn Hardie,Commissioner
Case No. C11-E-26-01
Order No. 37112
Contact:Adam Rush
Office: [phone]
E-mail Address: [e-mail]
NEWS RELEASE: Commission Denies Electric Utility's Application Seeking Approval of Wildfire
Mitigation Plan
BOISE (July 29, 2026)—The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has denied an application submitted by Raft
River Rural Electric Co-op Inc. seeking approval of the utility's 2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan(WMP). While
acknowledging the work the utility invested in the development of its WMP, the Commission determined the
plan does not contain sufficient information needed for approval.
Electric utilities file the plans with the Commission pursuant to the Wildfire Standard of Care Act (WSCA).
The WSCA requires the Commission to annually approve WMPs for investor-owned electric utilities. Under
the WSCA, if a wildfire results in a lawsuit against an electric utility, there is a presumption the utility acted
without negligence if it reasonably implemented a Commission-approved WMP. Municipal and cooperative
electric utilities, which are not regulated by the Commission, may voluntarily submit plans for the
Commission's review.
Each utility's WMP identifies areas where the utility has infrastructure or equipment may be subject to
heightened wildfire risk at the time the WMP is finalized. The plan also describes the actions and programs
the utility will take to reduce wildfire risk, community outreach and public awareness efforts the utility will
use before, during and after wildfire season to inform the public of relevant wildfire risk as well as efforts to
notify the public of wildfire-related outages, among other items.
Raft River Rural Electric said its WMP assessed and minimized the probability that its transmission and
distribution system may contribute to or be the origin of a wildfire. The plan also evaluated efforts to control
vegetation near overhead transmission lines and includes information on mitigating actions that are taken on a
day-to-day basis to reduce wildfire risks, among other items.
In an order issued July 29,2026,the Commission denied the WMP. It determined that while the plan provides
a foundation for its wildfire mitigation efforts, it does not contain sufficient wildfire risk modeling. The
Commission also found that supplemental information provided during the discovery process was consistent
with the WSCA but was not included in the plan.
For future WMP filings, the Commission directed the utility to explain how certain mitigation activities, such
as grid hardening efforts, are reducing wildfire risk; explain how the utility identifies, evaluates and selects

wildfire-related projects; include additional details on the company's weather station network and incorporate
recommendations from the Idaho Department of Lands, among other items.
Additional information is available at: https://puc.idaho.gov/case/Details/7701.