United StatesEnergy and utilities2021

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Pano AI Rapid Detect wildfire detection pilot

PG&E tested AI wildfire detection with access to 13 camera stations

WorkingIndependent study

Problem

Utilities needed earlier wildfire warnings and clearer incident locations to assess threats to infrastructure.

Approach

PG&E joined Portland General Electric in a 2021 pilot of Pano AI's Rapid Detect system, with EPRI as technical advisor. Rotating cameras supplied images for automated smoke detection, with incident validation before alerts. PG&E accessed stations within its service territory.

Results

13camera stations accessible to PG&E during the pilotIndependent study[1]

85%controlled test fires detected within 10 minutes of visible smoke by the joint pilot's final modelIndependent study[1]

Takeaway

Detection results covered the joint pilot and controlled test fires, rather than a separate PG&E performance measurement.

Sources

360-Degree, AI-Based Imaging for Wildfire Situational and Locational Awareness
EPRIMar 2022Research paper or report

Source summaries

[1]EPRIMar 2022

EPRI reports the joint utility pilot and PG&E's station access. Its final-model tests detected 85% of controlled fires within 10 minutes.

Full details are in the original sources.

Added 1 Nov 2026 · Updated 1 Nov 2026