At Colorado Springs Utilities, we're always working to keep our community safe and our electrical system reliable. That's why we're taking a new step to prevent wildfires. As part of our Wildfire Mitigation Plan, we're installing new equipment on power poles throughout our service area.
What we're doing to enhance our system
This new hardware gives our operators the power to remotely adjust a recloser's settings from our control center. To ensure reliable communication, this new system will use various technologies—including radio, cellular, fiber and satellite—depending on the location of the power line. This gives our teams real-time data from even the most remote parts of our system.
A recloser is a device that works like a smart circuit breaker. Normally, if a recloser detects a fault (like a tree branch touching a line), it will briefly shut off the power and then automatically try to turn it back on. This helps quickly restore power after a temporary issue.
However, during high-wind or "red flag" weather events, we can use Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) to prioritize safety. Our operators can remotely adjust the recloser's settings to be more sensitive. If a fault occurs, the recloser will not attempt to restore power, preventing a persistent electrical arc from forming. This is a deliberate choice to prioritize community safety and minimize the risk of a catastrophic wildfire, rather than to restore power immediately.
Balancing safety and reliability
We understand that these safety settings may temporarily affect our service, and you could experience a power outage. However, this is a critical action to protect our community. The advanced technology allows us to quickly return the recloser settings to normal as soon as weather conditions improve, ensuring we can provide the reliable service you depend on.
This intelligent, adaptive system is a significant step forward in our efforts to build a more resilient and responsive electrical grid for our entire community. To learn more, we encourage you to review the full Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
