PG Proposes 10-Year Plan to Underground 5,000 Miles of Power Lines in California
PG&E has submitted a 10-year Electrical Undergrounding Plan to the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. This initiative aims to enhance grid safety and reliability in areas across northern and central California that are at high risk for wildfires. The plan involves placing approximately 5,000 miles of electricity distribution lines underground between 2028 and 2037. The utility will prioritize areas where undergrounding is expected to yield the most significant reduction in wildfire risks. This extensive project is projected to span over 30 counties. PG&E anticipates substantial long-term benefits, estimating $117 billion through wildfire prevention and reduced outages, alongside avoiding roughly $6 billion in vegetation management, operations, and maintenance costs. This comes after PG&E emerged from bankruptcy in 2020, following its equipment being linked to several deadly fires. The company also announced in early September its intention to defer about $2 billion in investments next year ...
