Kit Carson Electric Cooperative in Taos, New Mexico, is using AI and drones to monitor wildfire risk and reduce potential wildfires caused by downed power lines. The cooperative is participating in a pilot program for AI-based wildfire software created by Firescape, an Albuquerque company that uses machine learning to map wildfire risk across vast landscapes. The company is harvesting data from satellites and weather stations to assess key factors such as wind speed and relative humidity. It then provides models to public utilities, which can then pinpoint priority locations for long-term fire mitigation projects. Kit Carson serves three counties: Rio Arriba, Colfax and Taos. The area is home to two of the state’s highest-risk firesheds, or areas most prone to severe wildfire, according to the 2022 Community Wildfire Protection Plan.