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Author(s): Hunter Bassler

Track US states’ new wildfire laws for utilities with this interactive map

Source(s): Wildfire Today
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Hawaii’s Lahaina Fire killed over 100 people and destroyed thousands of buildings. California’s Eaton Fire triggered the evacuation of over 100,000 residents. Texas’ Smokehouse Creek Fire burned over one million acres.

These are just some of the many fires that were ignited by electrical utility infrastructure in the US. The fallout from these disasters has triggered a wave of recent legislation rewriting the rules of how utilities operate in numerous US states, but officials at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Smart Electric Power Alliance said lawmakers lacked a way to track how each state is addressing the problem.

The two organizations, in response, created a new interactive map that provides a state-by-state view of wildfire-focused utility laws. The tracker shows which states are pursuing wildfire mitigation strategies, along with which measures have passed or failed.

“Research shows that states considered more wildfire-related legislation in 2025 than they had during the previous 10 years combined,” the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said in a press release. ” Currently, the map shows 44 legislative and regulatory actions across 18 states. PNNL and SEPA plan to update the map as new actions are introduced.”

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Country and region United States of America

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