Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley Tuesday introduced new legislation to incentivize utility companies to do more to reduce wildfire risks as aging power infrastructure ignite wildfires in Oregon and the West.  Wyden and Merkley’s Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act of 2020 would call for power companies to reduce the risk of wildfires through power system upgrades such as the undergrounding of power lines, fire safety equipment installation and proper vegetation management.  The Act would establishes a $1 billion-per-year matching grant program for power companies through the Department of Energy to reduce the risk of power lines and grid infrastructure causing wildfires, and gives special priority to smaller, rural electric companies to ensure mitigation efforts are targeted to forested rural areas.