The utility's new tools to fight an old foe: wildfires

The utility's new tools to fight an old foe: wildfires

From Energy Central by Energy Central

April 21, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the increasing threat of wildfires to utilities and the proactive measures they must take to mitigate risks.

Wildfires are no longer a once-in-a-while risk for utilities. These days, they are a growing operational, financial, and human crisis. And power companies can’t wait and react anymore, they need to be proactive. In this episode, podcast host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Skye Perry, VP of Utilities at Fire Neural Network (FNN), to discuss how the scale of wildfire damage has surged, why utilities are under increasing pressure to show a tangible “standard of care,” and how the legal and reputational stakes have changed the way utilities think about risk. From the new tools in lightning detection, AI modeling, and geospatial data to the effectiveness of public safety power shutoffs, utility communications, and why education remains one of the biggest bottlenecks to broader adoption of wildfire technology, Skye shares an unmistakable playbook for utilities moving forward. FountaiNN: https://www.fireneuralnetwork.com/fountainn Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

People in this episode

Host: Kinsey Grant Baker

Guest: Skye Perry

Topics covered

  • wildfires
  • utilities
  • risk management
  • technology
  • AI
  • public safety

Keywords

  • wildfires
  • utilities
  • AI modeling
  • geospatial data
  • public safety power shutoffs
  • risk management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fire Neural Network, Energy Central

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