--- title: "Wildfire Power Shutoff (PSPS) Exposure for Data Center Sites: How to Screen It | Insights | Build" description: "Public Safety Power Shutoffs let utilities de-energize lines during high wildfire risk. Data center PSPS exposure follows the serving circuit, not just the parcel, so screen feeds against fire risk maps, shutoff history, and backup fuel autonomy." url: https://build.inc/insights/data-center-wildfire-power-shutoff-psps-exposure --- [Technology](https://build.inc/insights?category=technology) # Wildfire Power Shutoff (PSPS) Exposure for Data Center Sites: How to Screen It Public Safety Power Shutoffs let utilities de-energize lines during high wildfire risk. Data center PSPS exposure follows the serving circuit, not just the parcel, so screen feeds against fire risk maps, shutoff history, and backup fuel autonomy. by James SE • November 10, 2026 • 6 min read ## Short answer A Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) is when an electric utility deliberately de-energizes lines during high wildfire risk weather. For a data center, PSPS exposure means your utility feed can be turned off on purpose, for hours or days, even if your site never sees a fire. Screen for it by checking whether the site's serving lines run through utility-designated high fire risk areas, how often those circuits have been shut off before, and whether your backup power and fuel plan can carry a multi-day event. ## Key terms - **PSPS:** a planned, preventive de-energization by the utility to reduce the chance that its equipment starts a wildfire. - **High fire threat area:** a zone designated by a utility or regulator where wildfire risk is elevated. In California these are mapped by the state utility commission; other states and utilities publish their own maps. - **Wildfire mitigation plan:** a utility filing describing how it manages wildfire risk, including when and how it uses shutoffs. Several western states now require them. - **Serving circuit:** the specific lines and substations that deliver power to your site. PSPS risk follows the circuit, not just the parcel. ## Why this is different from wildfire hazard screening Natural hazard screening asks whether fire could reach the site. PSPS screening asks whether fire risk somewhere along your supply path could cause the utility to cut power to you. A parcel in a low-risk valley can still be fed by lines crossing high-risk terrain. ## The screen Step What to check Where to look 1\. Map the feed Which substation and lines will serve the site Utility interconnection discussions, load study 2\. Overlay risk zones Do those lines cross designated high fire risk areas Utility and regulator fire threat maps 3\. Check history Have those circuits been de-energized before, and for how long Utility PSPS event reports and regulator filings 4\. Read the plan How the utility decides on shutoffs and what customers get notice Utility wildfire mitigation plan 5\. Size resilience Can backup generation and fuel cover a multi-day outage Your design basis and fuel supply contracts ## Decision rules 1. **Treat PSPS as an availability input, not a rare event.** In shutoff-prone service areas, plan for it seasonally. 2. **Circuit beats parcel.** Always evaluate the transmission and distribution path, not only the site location. 3. **Fuel autonomy has to match event length.** Backup generators sized for short grid blips may not cover a multi-day shutoff without refueling, and refueling access can be limited in the same weather. 4. **Ask about hardening plans.** Undergrounding, sectionalizing, and grid hardening on your circuit can change exposure over time. Get the utility's stated plan in writing where possible. 5. **Reflect it in underwriting.** Lenders and tenants may ask about PSPS exposure. Have the evidence ready. ## Red flags - Serving lines cross mapped high fire risk terrain - Prior shutoff events on the same circuit - Single radial feed with no alternate path - Backup fuel plan assumes easy delivery during red flag conditions - No utility guidance on notice or restoration practice ## How Build approaches it Build sources sites and then validates power deliverability, which includes looking at the path power takes to the site and the risks along it. For sites in wildfire-prone regions, that validation surfaces PSPS exposure before you commit, so the sites you get are ones where both energization and reliability hold up. Build then helps bundle the design and specialist services to plan resilience for the sites that move forward. ## Checklist - Serving substation and lines identified - Lines overlaid on high fire risk maps - Shutoff history for those circuits reviewed - Utility wildfire mitigation plan read - Backup generation and fuel autonomy sized for multi-day events - Hardening or alternate feed options documented ## Frequently Asked Questions: What is a Public Safety Power Shutoff? A PSPS is a planned de-energization of power lines by an electric utility during high wildfire risk conditions, intended to prevent utility equipment from starting a fire. Can a data center be affected by PSPS even if it is not in a fire zone? Yes. PSPS risk follows the lines that serve the site. If the serving circuit crosses high fire risk terrain, the site can lose utility power even when the parcel itself is low risk. How do you check a site's PSPS exposure? Identify the serving substation and lines, overlay them on utility or regulator fire threat maps, review the utility's past shutoff events on those circuits, and read the utility's wildfire mitigation plan. How should a data center plan for PSPS? Size backup generation and fuel autonomy for multi-day outages, secure fuel delivery arrangements that work in severe weather, and document the utility's hardening or alternate feed plans. Is PSPS only a California issue? No. California utilities have used shutoffs most visibly, but other western utilities have adopted similar programs and several states now require wildfire mitigation plans. [Technology ### Interconnection Voltage for Data Centers: What 69 kV, 138 kV, and 230 kV Mean for a Site November 6, 2026](https://build.inc/insights/data-center-interconnection-voltage-level-site-selection)[Technology ### Data Center Water Resilience Modeling: Why WUE Is Not Enough September 21, 2026](https://build.inc/insights/data-center-water-resilience-modeling)[Technology ### Data Center UPS and Battery Rooms: Layout and Safety Rules June 28, 2026](https://build.inc/insights/data-center-ups-battery-rooms)