In September 2026, Texas lawmakers heard that only 8 of the 160 utilities operating in fire-prone areas had filed their wildfire mitigation plans with the Public Utility Commission. Another 135 said they were still preparing them. Rep. Ken King told the House State Affairs committee he was "very, very disappointed with the industry," and members made clear the plans are expected before January.
The stakes are not abstract. The 2024 Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history, was started by a decayed utility pole. The Legislature passed HB 145 the following year.
What the law requires
HB 145 added Section 38.080 to the Texas Utilities Code. Electric utilities, city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives that own transmission or distribution lines in a wildfire risk area must file a plan that covers:
- Each service area in a wildfire risk area, and how lines there are inspected
- Vegetation management in the risk area
- An operations plan to reduce the chance of ignition
- Procedures for de-energizing lines and disabling reclosers
- Restoration during and after a wildfire, and community outreach
- An analysis of the plan by an independent expert in fire risk mitigation
The commission then has 180 days to approve, modify or reject each plan. In April 2026 it released a voluntary blueprint to give utilities a common structure, and staff built a model template for smaller utilities without the resources to write their own.
What separates a strong plan from a filed one
A template gets a plan filed. It does not make the plan hold up when someone asks hard questions after a fire. From reviewing wildfire plans, the strongest ones share a few traits:
- Risk areas drawn from your own system, not copied from a statewide map. Where are your oldest poles, your longest radial lines, your hardest-to-reach spans?
- Inspection and vegetation cycles tied to risk. The highest-risk lines get looked at more often, and the plan says how often.
- Clear triggers for operations changes. Who decides to change recloser settings or de-energize, based on what weather conditions, and how customers hear about it.
- Restoration and outreach that name real partners: emergency management contacts, fire departments, and the communities you serve.
- Numbers you can track. Miles inspected, trees cleared, equipment replaced. A plan without measures is hard to defend.
Don't leave the independent analysis to the last week
The independent expert analysis is part of the filing, not an afterthought. A good reviewer needs time to read the plan, ask questions and let you fix what they find before the analysis is final. With most utilities still preparing their plans, reviewers' calendars will fill up fast.
If your co-op or city utility is still working on its plan, now is the time to line up that review. Learn more about Texas wildfire mitigation plans and how we help.