PGE details investments in AI cameras, iron utility poles, high-tech fuses to prevent devastating wildfires

Portland General Electric is investing more than $20 million in its wildfire mitigation and resiliency plan this year, Oregon's largest electricity company said Wednesday. This includes increasing inspections of utility poles, expanding what it considers "high risk zones" and deploying more advanced technology - like high-def AI cameras - to detect wildfires across the region.

As energy companies across the country struggle to figure out how to respond to climate change, PGE is spending more money than ever to prevent its equipment from igniting a devastating wildfire, and, if it does, to stop a blaze as quickly as possible.

The potential liabilities for utilities have proven enormous in recent years.