2025 Wildfire Investment Snapshot

Analysis of PG&E, SCE, Xcel Energy + 17 others

In 2025, wildfire risk management has entered the billion-dollar era. Utilities face mounting pressure to justify massive mitigation investments while navigating complex regulatory approval processes — and traditional planning approaches can't keep up.

This analysis from Rhizome examines how utilities are allocating $21+ billion in wildfire mitigation spending through 2027. With insights from 20 major utility filings, it reveals current investment patterns, justification strategies, and implementation challenges shaping the industry.

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Key insights include:

• Where $21+ billion in spending is concentrated and why allocation patterns are consistent across utilities
• How leading utilities secure regulatory approval through quantified frameworks and cost-benefit analysis
• Why advanced technologies remain stuck at pilot scale despite proven risk reduction results
• Strategic approaches utilities use to frame mitigation spending as avoiding much larger future costs