Lisa Fung, Computer Science '27
Wildfire Mitigation Analysis Fellow, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)
As a Shultz Energy Fellow, I’ve been working on Wildfire Mitigation Analysis for the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy. WAPA is a power-marketing agency spanning 15 Western states, and WAPA sells and transports wholesale hydropower generated by federal dams through its electric transmission system.
With the rise in wildfire frequency and intensity in the West, wildfire risk has become a growing concern for WAPA. This summer, I developed a foundational quantitative assessment of relative wildfire risk and potential consequence for WAPA’s assets, which include transmission lines and structures, substations, and communication sites.
My work centered on intersecting geospatial (GIS) wildfire risk datasets from the US Forest Service with WAPA’s asset data to quantify relative wildfire risk, consequence, and asset condition. Then, I produced risk rankings for each of WAPA’s four regions based on wildfire probability and consequence, and recommended mitigation strategies.
A major challenge in the wildfire risk analysis process was handling large GIS wildfire risk image datasets and working with sparse asset condition data. I worked around these obstacles by down sampling GIS image datasets and only incorporating asset condition data for a subset of transmission lines.
My experience at WAPA offered me many dimensions of learning beyond research, GIS, and data analysis. At WAPA’s Sierra Nevada Region Headquarters in Folsom, California, I participated in numerous hands-on experiences from visiting Folsom Dam and substations to speaking with electricity dispatch operators, electricians, and vegetation management crews. From the visit, I saw first-hand the impact my wildfire mitigation work will have in ensuring reliability of WAPA’s electric transmission system.
I am grateful for the support I received at WAPA. My mentor Jason Mauch brings a wealth of expertise in enterprise risk management, and I spoke with amazing WAPA leaders, including CEO Tracey LeBeau, Chief of Staff Chris Lawrence, and COO Tina Ko.
My fellowship experience at WAPA has inspired me to make a difference through energy-related public service and wildfire mitigation. Beyond improving my GIS, data modeling, and risk analysis skills, I developed a deeper appreciation for the effort and challenges that go into ensuring reliable electricity transmission.
I’ve found that data analysis is more meaningful when it can impact decisions and on-the-ground mitigation practices. My internship at WAPA has inspired me to form connections and lead projects bridging data, hardware, and software that revolve around the central topics of energy, transmission, and wildfire mitigation.
