Raft River Rural Electric Seeks Wildfire Mitigation Plan Approval

PressReleases

Published March 3rd, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

Raft River Rural Electric Co-op Inc. has submitted an application to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission seeking approval of its wildfire mitigation plan (WMP). The plan details the utility's efforts to reduce the risk of wildfires, as required by the Wildfire Standard of Care Act.

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What changed

Raft River Rural Electric Co-op Inc. has submitted an application to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for approval of its Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP), identified by Case No. C11-E-26-01 and Order No. 36952. This submission is made pursuant to the Wildfire Standard of Care Act (WSCA), which mandates annual approval of WMPs for investor-owned utilities and allows cooperative utilities like Raft River to voluntarily submit plans. The WMP outlines the utility's strategies for identifying high-risk infrastructure areas, implementing vegetation management, conducting community outreach, and mitigating the probability that its transmission and distribution systems contribute to wildfires.

This filing initiates a review process by PUC staff, Raft River Rural Electric, and potential intervenors. While the WSCA creates a presumption of non-negligence for utilities with approved WMPs in the event of a wildfire lawsuit, cooperative utilities are not directly regulated by the Commission. Regulated entities, particularly those operating in wildfire-prone areas, should be aware of the requirements and benefits of having a Commission-approved WMP. Further details are available on the PUC website under Case/Details/7701.

What to do next

Monitor the Idaho PUC's review process for Raft River Rural Electric's wildfire mitigation plan.
Review the submitted Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) for insights into industry best practices for wildfire risk reduction.
Assess internal wildfire mitigation strategies in light of the WSCA requirements and the presumption of non-negligence.

Source document (simplified)

Case No. C11-E-26-01 Order No. 36952 Contact: Adam Rush Office: (208) 334-0339 E-mail Address: adam.rush@puc.idaho.gov NEWS RELEASE: Southern Idaho electric co-op submits application seeking approval of wildfire mitigation plan. BOISE (March 3, 2026) – Raft River Rural Electric Co-op Inc. has submitted an application to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission seeking approval of its wildfire mitigation plan (WMP). The plan offers information on the work the utility is doing to reduce the risk of wildfires. Electric utilities file the plans with the Commission pursuant to the Wildfire Standard of Care Act (WSCA). The WSCA requires the Commission to annually approve WMPs for investor-owned electric utilities. Under the WSCA, if a wildfire results in a lawsuit against an electric utility, there is a presumption the utility acted without negligence if it reasonably implemented a Commission-approved WMP. Municipal and cooperative electric utilities, which are not regulated by the Commission, may voluntarily submit plans for the Commission’s review. Each utility’s WMP includes identifying areas where the utility has infrastructure or equipment that it considers may be subject to heightened wildfire risk at the time the WMP is finalized by the utility, actions and programs the utility will take to reduce wildfire risk, community outreach and public awareness efforts the utility will use before, during and after wildfire season to inform the public of relevant wildfire risk as well as efforts to notify the public of wildfire -related outages, among other items. Raft River Rural Electric said its WMP assesses and minimizes the probability that its transmission and distribution system may contribute to or be the origin of a wildfire. The plan also evaluates efforts to control vegetation near overhead transmission lines and includes information on mitigating actions that are taken on a day -to-day basis to reduce wildfire risks, among other items. Commission staff, Raft River Rural Electric and intervenors to the case will start the process of creating a record that, once completed, will be submitted to the Commission for its consideration. Intervenors are allowed to participate in the proceedings for applications filed with the Commission. Additional information on the WMP is available at: puc.idaho.gov/case/Details/7701.