Rajit Gadh for IEEE Spectrum—Future L.A. Fires Could Be Prevented With Grid-Hardening Tech 

Rajit Gadh, director of the Smart Grid Energy Research Center at UCLA and professor at UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, spoke with IEEE Spectrum about the role of advanced grid technologies in wildfire prevention in a recent.

The article highlights how innovations such as Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) and bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charging could enhance wildfire resilience by reducing the risk of electrical infrastructure igniting fires and providing backup power during outages.

The discussion comes in the wake of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, where utilities like Southern California Edison are under increased scrutiny for fire prevention efforts. While REFCLs—developed in response to Australia’s 2009 Black Saturday fires—have shown effectiveness in mitigating electrical faults, widespread implementation in California remains limited due to cost and infrastructure challenges.

Read the full IEEE Spectrum article here.