PG&E continues moving forward with power line undergrounding project
SAN FRANCISCO -- As PG&E moves forward with the utility's plan to bury thousands of miles of power lines underground, there are some who question whether there's a cheaper alternative to keep the Bay Area safe.
The utility company says it is on track to put hundreds of miles of power lines underground by the end of 2023.
KPIX got an up-close look at the Vacaville underground circuit. It sits in the burn scar of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex fires. It is a high fire risk area because of the winds.
"We had a lot of doubters and I am happy to report that today we completed the civil work for the 350th mile. Our goal is to bury 10,000 miles of line," said PG&E CEO Patti Poppe.
She says the underground mission is to prevent future wildfires and reduce public safety power shutoffs. But it comes at a cost to customers.
"I think what most people are worried about is affordability," said Poppe. "I just want your viewers to know it is less expensive to bury the lines as we are doing than it is to continue to do overhead conductors and all the vegetation management that goes with it year after year after year."
"The goal is to have these lines live by the end of the year," she added. "And once they are all energized, you see those high voltage lines? They are all taken down. "
PG&E is still in the early stages of its undergrounding plan that is scheduled to continue through 2026. Some consumer advocates are opposed to the operation and say it is too expensive.
"What PG&E has proposed is not affordable for customers," said Katy Morsony with The Utility Reform Network (TURN). It advocates on behalf of ratepayers and says a faster and cheaper solution is to insulate power lines instead of burying them.
"We don't believe that undergrounding is the solution in the customers' best interest. With insulating power lines, there is a much lower price point and it is installed much more quickly," said Morsony.
PG&E's undergrounding plan still needs the final approval by the California Public Utilities Commission. A vote is expected in November. Until then, Poppe says the utility company is hoping to deliver on its mission.