Xcel Energy Expands Fire Detection Technology to New Mexico

Xcel Energy is taking significant steps to enhance wildfire detection using artificial intelligence, with plans to expand this technology to New Mexico. Last week, the utility announced its intention to install an advanced early fire detection camera system across 11 counties in Texas.

These AI-equipped cameras are designed to quickly identify smoke as soon as a fire starts. Once detected, the system alerts human analysts, pinpoints the fire’s location, and notifies local 911 call centers to ensure a swift response.

Xcel Energy has already implemented this cutting-edge technology in Colorado and plans to deploy it in eastern New Mexico within the next five years. “We are working closely with communities and first responders to identify the best locations for these cameras,” said Adrian Rodriguez, President of Xcel Energy New Mexico-Texas.

This announcement follows legal challenges facing Xcel Energy related to the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which devastated over a million acres and claimed two lives in the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma earlier this year.

With a focus on collaboration and innovation, Xcel Energy’s initiative aims to mitigate future wildfire risks and improve safety in fire-prone areas.

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