Green Grid, a provider of AI and Internet of Things (IoT)-powered climate solutions, will partner with Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES) to deploy its advanced wildfire prevention platform iSIU, Instant Situational Insights for Utilities.
This artificial intelligence of things (AIoT)-powered monitoring and alerting system is meant to enhance BVES’s wildfire mitigation capabilities and strengthen grid resilience across its high-fire-risk areas.
BVES is an investor-owned utility (IOU) company providing electric services in the San Bernardino Mountains (Big Bear Lake, CA). Its entire service territory falls within the CPUC High Fire Threat Districts (HFTDs) – specifically Tiers 2 and 3, which designate elevated and extreme wildfire risk areas.
California’s wildfire threat continues to intensify. According to Cal Fire, 2024 saw 7,818 wildfires that burned over 1 million acres – more than triple the land burned in 2023. The destruction also escalated, with 2,078 structures destroyed or damaged in 2024, compared to just 179 structures in 2023.
Integrating iSIU into BVES’s infrastructure delivers continuous asset and vegetation condition monitoring. Through real-time monitoring, condition-based maintenance, and proactive alerts, iSIU provides a framework meant to protect assets from potential threats such as wildfires, enhance operational efficiency, and improve overall grid reliability. Green Grid noted that the system detected the Line Fire in Los Angeles County, which burned over 25 acres in September 2024.
Green Grid’s platform integrates with Bear Valley’s existing systems through a network of monitoring sensors, including cameras and weather sensors. iSIU collects grid-wide data, analyzes it using AI-driven algorithms to detect patterns and anomalies, and delivers insights to the users’ desktops and mobile devices. These insights can help Bear Valley Electric Service detect critical issues related to structural health, equipment faults, object contacts, and vegetation encroachment.
“We are thrilled to partner with Bear Valley Electric Service and bring real-time ignition monitoring and wildfire mitigation capabilities directly to their grid through our patented AIoT platform, iSIU,” said Chinmoy Saha, CEO and founder of Green Grid Inc. “Following our successful pilot program with Bear Valley, we’re expanding this collaboration to create a safer, smarter, and more resilient energy future. This partnership demonstrates Bear Valley’s commitment to innovation and better service to their customers and aligns well with our mission to transform grid resilience through AI.”
Are AI-enabled cameras the next big thing for wildfire resilience?
AI-enabled cameras for wildfire detection are becoming a popular choice in the West and Pacific Northwest, giving utilities a new tool in their wildfire mitigation toolbox meant to provide early detection of wildfires that humans might miss.
Portland General Electric (PGE) has launched an AI-enabled wildfire detection system from Pano AI. PGE’s wildfire detection methods include early fault detection, weather stations, and AI cameras. To date, PGE said it has achieved 100% camera detection and weather station coverage, in addition to installing six distribution circuits with early fault detection sensors.
GO DEEPER: Utility executives begin their day with this company’s wildfire AI data
In Alaska, the Anchorage Fire Department and Chugach Electric have adopted a new automated monitoring system for the Anchorage Hillside, Alaska’s News Source reported. The fire department has installed FIRE-SPY systems from GRIDWIDE – an “always on” monitoring solution installed on overhead transformers. The system monitors and detects flames, smoke, gas, temperature, and humidity. When an abnormal condition is detected, an automated alert is sent to operators and first responders.
Further west, Hawaii’s electric utility, which is still recovering from wildfires that killed more than 200 people and damaged more than 2,000 buildings in 2023, is deploying high-resolution cameras equipped with artificial intelligence for early wildfire detection. Hawaiian Electric is installing two high-resolution cameras at 78 locations across the five islands. The cameras will provide the utility with a full 360-degree view of areas with elevated wildfire risk and can be accessed by the public.
