Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Climate adaptation

Cost-effective adaptation of electric grids

Nature Climate Change volume 15, pages 1031–1032 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Reducing the wildfire risk of electric grids requires assessing and comparing various adaptation measures. A study shows that a grid technology innovation cuts the risk more cost-effectively than conventional approaches such as burying power lines.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Keeley, J. E. & Syphard, A. D. Int. J. Wildland Fire 27, 781–799 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. 2018 Incident Archive (CAL FIRE, 2018); http://go.nature.com/4p0Kxzr

  3. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) GRC Proceedings (Phase I) (California Public Utilities Commission, 2023); https://go.nature.com/3UwvRtZ

  4. Warner, C., Callaway, D. & Fowlie, M. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02436-5 (2025).

  5. Hall, K. L. Out of Sight, Out of Mind 2012: An Updated Study on the Undergrounding of Overhead Power Lines (Edison Electric Institute, 2013).

  6. Mildenberger, M., Howe, P. D., Trachtman, S., Stokes, L. C. & Lubell, M. Nat. Energy 7, 736–743 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Wang, Z., Wara, M., Majumdar, A. & Rajagopal, R. Nat. Energy 8, 1097–1108 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Taylor, W. O., Watson, P. L., Cerrai, D. & Anagnostou, E. Sustainability 14, 904 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Werner, K. D. & Jarvis, S. Rate of Return Regulation Revisited Energy Institute WP 329R (Energy Institute at Haas, 2025); https://go.nature.com/4mOFq3h

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Zhecheng Wang

Authors
  1. Zhecheng Wang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhecheng Wang.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, Z. Cost-effective adaptation of electric grids. Nat. Clim. Chang. 15, 1031–1032 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02421-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02421-y

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing