Building resilient utilities: UCLA issues report on key water and power infrastructure needs

More than 100 engineers, utility leaders, scientists and public officials came together in the wake of January's catastrophic Los Angeles firestorms to identify innovative strategies and emerging technologies that could build more resilient infrastructure, recognizing the broader challenges of growing climate and disaster risks.

The intensive June 9 workshop - commissioned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and developed, organized and hosted by UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation with programmatic and logistical support from the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge (SLAGC)-created a unique opportunity for decision-makers to talk frankly and collaboratively to advance broader industry knowledge and capacity.

The resulting report, "Innovation Opportunities for a Resilient L.A.," emphasizes that no single strategy is sufficient. Instead, Los Angeles must pursue a mix of approaches, from upgrading infrastructure to improving coordination across agencies. Importantly, many of the ideas developed at the workshop are already informing LADWP requests for proposals and pilot projects.

"Our partnership with UCLA is helping drive innovation that will help all utilities adapt to the challenges of climate change and shape future resilience policies and strategies," said LADWP CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones. "Following the Palisades wildfire, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation also provided critical insights on the role urban water systems play in wildfire response. Together, we're not only addressing immediate challenges but also building the capacity and resilience needed to protect our communities and create a more sustainable and resilient future for Los Angeles."

Four areas of innovation

The workshop and report synthesize ideas and pilot concepts in four areas:

• Undergrounding power lines: Moving utility lines below ground can reduce wildfire ignition risk and improve reliability. Participants weighed the benefits against high costs, earthquake vulnerabilities and permitting challenges, emphasizing the need for clear goals, cost-sharing strategies and strong community engagement.
• Strengthening water infrastructure: While water systems alone cannot stop wildfires, they play a critical role in emergency response. Experts discussed the role water supply systems can and cannot play during wildfires. They also considered potential upgrades such as fire-hardened valves, backup reservoirs, the use of "smart hydrants" to better deploy resources in real time and even drawing on ocean water in coastal areas. Collaboration with fire departments and better communication during emergencies were key themes.
• Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI): Smart meters give utilities and customers real-time data on energy and water use. During disasters, AMI can support outage tracking and grid management. LADWP plans to deploy 1.5 million smart energy meters by 2031, aiming to modernize service and align with California's clean energy transition.
• Wildfire risk assessment and detection: The January 2025 fires exposed limits in existing risk management tools. Participants called for advanced modeling, real-time monitoring and risk-based prioritization to help utilities target investments in grid hardening, vegetation management and emergency planning.

"As the climate changes, our region faces dynamic and unprecedented challenges that will continue to test the limits of the vital infrastructure that underpins our daily lives," said Gregory Pierce, senior director of the Luskin Center for Innovation. "This convening of diverse expertise and on-the-ground experience lays a solid foundation on which LADWP and utilities in fire-prone urban areas globally can begin to build responsive solutions in key issue areas."

Researchers from the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, the California Center for Sustainable Communities, the Center for Climate Science, the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, the B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences and UCLA Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering participated.

Learn more about the Luskin Center for Innovation's research on water and fire, and UCLA's partnership with LADWP, stewarded by SLAGC.