California Earthquake Authority Publishes Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Report

April 7, 2026 – The California Earthquake Authority, in their capacity as Administrator of the California Wildfire Fund, delivered their report, Enhancing California’s Resiliency to Natural Catastrophes as required under SB 254. The legislation required the Authority to evaluate policy options to reduce damages to life and property, accelerate post-disaster recovery, and equitably allocate the costs of natural catastrophes in California, including catastrophic wildfires. The report identifies three overarching Policy Pathways, each of which are supported by multiple strategies and actions.

1. 1. Commit to community wildfire risk reduction: Focuses on greater state coordination, guidance, and resources for local governments; increased capacity at the community level, developing shared data and information to support local mitigation planning, and setting some new requirements that further support existing priorities related to electric utility safety, accountability, and reporting.
      
   2. Equitably allocate catastrophe burdens: Addresses existing cost-sharing structures that are not fit-for-purpose to manage the extreme wildfires, including issues such as investor-owned utilities being burdened with inverse condemnation, disproportionate contributions to wildfire mitigation from residential ratepayers, access to property insurance, and delivery of post-disaster compensation payments.
      
   3. State roles for addressing catastrophe resiliency: Focuses on financing strategies to respond to catastrophic events as well as new public and private financing strategies to facilitate wildfire mitigation, such as home and community hardening, defensible space, and vegetation management.