TEXAS — House Bill 145 requires utility companies in Texas to file these plans with the regulator. The law emerged from investigations into the Smokehouse Creek wildfires, which occurred in the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma in 2024.

The Texas House State Affairs committee held a hearing on utility compliance with wildfire mitigation laws last week. Representative Ken King led the hearing. "That’d be 148 (plans) approved before January," Ken King said. "I’m very, very disappointed with the industry," King said.

King emphasized the approaching deadline for compliance. "I think it’s imperative for anybody that has not filed that report to realize January is coming," he said. "You will file that wildfire mitigation plan, and if you’re dragging your feet, there’s no excuse good enough for me."

The legislation mandates specific content for the submitted documents. Wildfire mitigation plans must include emergency protocols, operating plans for high-risk weather, vegetation management, equipment inspection, and identified wildfire risk areas.

Pole and maintenance plans detailing a complete inventory of utility assets are due in January. The Public Utility Commission staff created a model wildfire mitigation plan for utility companies to use as a template to assist with this requirement.

Connie Corona, Director of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, addressed the logistical challenges of reviewing the incoming documents. "We’ve asked for a heads-up notice of when the utility plans to file, and try to ensure that meets with the resources we have available," Corona said.

Current records show varied levels of engagement from the utilities. One hundred thirty-five utility companies have indicated to the Public Utility Commission that they are preparing their wildfire mitigation plans. Four utility companies have provided the commission with a date for when they intend to file.

Thirteen utility companies have not communicated their wildfire mitigation plan status to the Public Utility Commission. King questioned the timeline for the remaining entities. "When eight out of 160 have complied, and we’re sitting here in September, that doesn’t sound like a very good response to me," King said.

Xcel Energy submitted its wildfire mitigation plan last month. Southwestern Public Service Company operates as Xcel Energy.

Xcel Energy has deployed 97 wildfire detection cameras across its service territory. These cameras use AI to detect smoke and provide real-time information to utility personnel, fire responders, and emergency managers. The company also uses Public Safety Power Shutoffs to turn off power in certain areas during critical wildfire conditions and has shut off power five times since 2024.

Craig Cowden, a rancher in the Panhandle, witnessed the impact of electrical equipment failures firsthand. Two wildfires ignited by electrical equipment used by oil and gas companies broke out on his ranch this year. Cowden extinguished the fires before they spread beyond 5 acres.

"It’s kind of discouraging that there hasn’t been more proactively submitting their wildfire plan," Cowden said. He lost 20,000 acres to wildfires in 2024.

The regulatory push follows a severe fire season. Eighty fires were linked to electrical issues in Texas in 2024. The majority of fires during the 2024 season were linked to electrical ignitions.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has helped local governments respond to more than 1,200 fires since the start of the year. Nim Kidd is the chief for the agency. Recent incidents include the Ross Fire, which burned for more than three weeks in North Texas and is the second largest wildfire in North Texas history.

Why It Matters

The slow rate of compliance with House Bill 145 indicates the readiness of the state's utility infrastructure ahead of the next fire season. With only eight of 160 required plans filed as of September, regulators face a compressed timeline to review and approve the remaining submissions before the January deadline. The plans are designed to address the specific risks that led to previous disasters, including vegetation management and equipment inspection protocols.

The legislative mandate stems directly from the catastrophic losses associated with the 2024 fire season. By requiring detailed mitigation strategies, the state aims to reduce the frequency of electrical ignitions, which accounted for eighty fires in 2024. The effectiveness of these plans will determine whether utilities can prevent the type of large-scale destruction seen in recent years, where thousands of acres were lost to blazes caused by aging or damaged infrastructure.

Timeline

The Smokehouse Creek fire started when a decayed power pole owned by Xcel Energy snapped and landed in dry grass on February 26, 2024. The event marked the beginning of a destructive season in which the Smokehouse Creek wildfires occurred in the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma in 2024. The Smokehouse Creek fire was the largest wildfire in Texas history.

During that period, eighty fires were linked to electrical issues in Texas in 2024, and the majority of fires during the 2024 season were linked to electrical ignitions. Craig Cowden lost 20,000 acres to wildfires in 2024.

What's New

Later reporting indicates that as of September 2026, only eight of 160 utility companies operating in fire-prone areas of Texas had filed wildfire mitigation plans with the Public Utility Commission (PUC). Additional context confirms that the Smokehouse Creek wildfire, which started in 2024 due to a decayed power pole owned by Xcel Energy, was the largest wildfire in Texas history and led to the filing of House Bill 145. Records show that Xcel Energy was involved in the Smokehouse Creek wildfire in 2024, which led to an injunction requiring the company to replace damaged utility poles and conduct inspections in the Texas Panhandle.

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) is responsible for overseeing the filing of wildfire mitigation plans, and the deadline for submission is January. Rep. Ken King, who led the charge on the new law, expressed disappointment with the slow progress and emphasized that utility companies must file their wildfire mitigation plans by January. Data shows the Smokehouse Creek Fire burned approximately 1,058,482 acres before it was contained. The Smokehouse Creek Fire started on February 26, 2024. Xcel Energy is American utilities company.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the specifics of wildfire mitigation plans. Texas House Bill 145 states that House Bill 145 requires utility companies in Texas to file wildfire mitigation plans with the Public Utility Commission. Regarding the content of these documents, federalregister.gov notes that as of September 2026, only eight of 160 utility companies operating in fire-prone areas of Texas had filed wildfire mitigation plans with the Public Utility Commission (PUC).