Texas utilities are supposed to file wildfire mitigation plans according to a law spurred by destructive blazes in 2024.
With just four months until a January deadline, state lawmakers say most companies have not yet filed, prompting concern as wildfires continue to threaten homes, ranches, and communities across the state.
Here's what to know
House Bill 145 became Texas law in 2025 after the Panhandle wildfires highlighted the danger posed by electrical infrastructure. According to the Willis Research Network Newsletter, an investigation demonstrated that the Smokehouse Creek Fire was sparked in February 2024 "by downed power lines from a broken utility pole, flagged for replacement two weeks earlier."
That was over two years ago. Now the Texas Tribune has reported that state lawmakers have learned that only eight of the 160 utility companies serving fire-prone parts of Texas have submitted the wildfire mitigation plans required by that law.
Local news outlet CBS19 outlined that the plans are meant to "reduce wildfire risk through vegetation management, equipment inspections, and emergency response protocols."
At a recent House State Affairs Committee hearing, State Rep. Ken King made clear he was unhappy with the industry's pace.
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"I'm very, very disappointed with the industry," King said, per the Tribune.
Public Utility Commission — or PUC — director Connie Corona told lawmakers that four additional utilities have provided filing dates, while another 135 told the agency they are working on plans.
That leaves 13 utilities that have not formally communicated any filing plans as of Sept. 21, while final deadlines are approaching in January.
More background
The 2024 Smokehouse Creek wildfire ignited when an old Xcel Energy power pole collapsed into dry vegetation. The fire spread across the Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma and was the largest wildfire in Texas history, according to the Tribune.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told the paper that the state has helped respond to more than 1,200 fires so far this year. King said six fires have been linked to electrical issues in 2026, down from 80 in 2024.
Craig Cowden, a Panhandle rancher who lost 20,000 acres to fires in 2024, said electrical equipment used by oil and gas companies has caused two fires on his land this year.
"It's kind of discouraging that there hasn't been more proactively submitting their wildfire plan," Cowden told the Tribune.
What's being done?
Some utilities say they're picking up the pace to develop and submit their wildfire mitigation plans. Corona said the PUC created a template for utilities that may lack the staff or resources to build their own.
Brad Baldridge of Southwestern Public Service Company, which operates as Xcel Energy, told lawmakers that the company has installed almost 100 wildfire detection cameras across its service area, per the Tribune.
Xcel also uses emergency shutoffs during extreme fire weather to reduce risks. Baldridge said the company has cut power five times since 2024.
King, meanwhile, had his own message for utility companies as deadlines approach.
"I think it's imperative for anybody that has not filed that report to realize January is coming," he said, according to the Tribune.
King isn't alone in his frustration. As the paper reported earlier this year, the Texas stock trader Salem Abraham has been mapping potentially defective or dangerous utility poles himself and calling for accountability. It's an example of how much the issue matters to residents who were rocked by the record-breaking devastation in 2024.
Where can I learn more?
Power companies across the country are under similar mandates to prevent their operations from worsening wildfire risks. These stories cover utility oversight, emergency shutoffs, and warning tools:
• Across the West Coast, utilities now use Public Safety Power Shutoffs during dangerous fire weather.
• Fire agencies are testing a new wildfire warning system to spot dangerous conditions faster.
• In California, utilities pursued the most expensive, least effective methods to prevent wildfire damage.
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