Dispatchr Aims to Inoculate Utilities Against Wildfires

The devastation that massive wildfires are causing in California has been widely reported. But recent news stating that the state’s largest utility could be forced to break up underscores just how far-reaching the impacts of this growing environmental problem is. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) faces liabilities in excess of $8 billion following last October’s fires; that figure could grow even larger should investigators determine that the most destructive 2017 fire, the Tubbs fire, was caused by downed PG&E distribution lines. Several smaller fires have already been blamed on the utility.

Enter Dispatchr, Inc. A startup based in San Francisco, Dispatchr recently announced a solution that could help.

A Digital Immune System

In late June, Dispatchr Inc. and Hitachi Consulting announced limited availability of their Digital Immune System (DIS) solution. The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to prevent both wildfires and power outages caused by extreme weather or equipment failure.

Dispatchr claims that (through deep learning and failure predictions) this intelligent grid solution helps utilities prevent sparking destructive wildfires. This is done by using shared data across multiple utilities, retrospective looks at failure trends, and weather conditions to continuously sense threats caused by vegetation, extreme weather, and power system conditions.

CEO Ralph Garvin, Jr. says that DIS, which uses Hitachi’s AI technology, helps utilities in three ways:

• Detection: “DIS is not going to predict a tree failure…What it will do is reduce the search set of vulnerability by three orders of magnitude. This will in turn create an alert system for utility field workers to be proactive against foreign objects ripping through their electrical lines. Though for this specific situation DIS is well equipped, utilities would need to rely on other advanced distribution management system features for a holistic grid feature.”
• Visualization: “As of now, field workers and arborists tell you which trees are susceptible to breakage in winds over 55 mph. What DIS does is visually map and report hotspots that could lead to failures due to wind direction, speed, and surrounding vegetation. Then utility vegetation crews in the field are notified and sent out to fix the most liable areas.”
• Mitigation: “The DIS system is built upon deep learning that plays off several different platforms. This gives the opportunity to work preventatively and have continuous learning. Crews now act within days as opposed to 90. If the utility already has an appropriate workforce management system, field workers’ devices will be updated into their daily routine, which can ultimately reduce the search set by 20% in work action.”

In just 1 year, the field-tested Dispatchr platform has operated over a 70,000 square mile area. It has prevented over a dozen wildfires and half a dozen power outages, one of which would have left millions without power. 

With California residents calling these extreme events the new normal, the DIS platform is a timely and relevant example of how new technologies like AI can have a significant effect on grid safety and reliability—and more importantly, human safety and economic security.