PSE will consider turning on Enhanced Power Line Settings (EPS) on targeted power lines during high-risk wildfire weather conditions, including strong winds, very dry vegetation, and low humidity.

These safety settings will be implemented on targeted powerlines in areas with higher risk of wildfire, and during times when wildfire weather conditions are present. If weather conditions don’t meet the need for EPS, settings will be returned to normal operations to reduce the frequency of unplanned outages.

EPS makes the electric system more sensitive to potential hazards and automatically turns power off to reduce the risk of of a fire starting. In normal conditions, PSE uses automatic protective devices called “automatic reclosers”. These devices will attempt to reconnect the power when confronted with a hazard, like a tree branch brushing against a line, in case the hazard is no longer an issue. When EPS are turned on, the automatic devices’ settings are changed to no longer attempt to reconnect power to protect against potential sparks. Turning on EPS helps keep you safe, but this also means that customers in these areas may experience more frequent unplanned power outages.

During wildfire season, PSE takes proactive steps to ensure safety while balancing reliability. These prevention measures and response activities can result in power outages. EPS makes the electric system more sensitive to potential hazards, like a tree touching a line, and then automatically turns power off to prevent fires. The resulting outage is unplanned and is different than a PSPS or re-active de-energization in response to a fire.

Many things can cause an unplanned outage, including hazards like a branch or animal hitting a power line. Hazards could cause an unplanned outage on any power line, including those without EPS. Lines with EPS help prevent wildfires by turning power off faster.