Undergrounding power lines is expensive up front, but as time goes on I think it’s clear that the cost-benefit of avoiding resilience issues and wildfire risk is shifting. We should be undergrounding more, and also funding more innovation to look at lowering the cost.
January 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Undergrounding power lines is expensive up front, but as time goes on I think it’s clear that the cost-benefit of avoiding resilience issues and wildfire risk is shifting. We should be undergrounding more, and also funding more innovation to look at lowering the cost.
Grand Undergrounding on the damn train
November 21, 2024 at 3:26 PM
Grand Undergrounding on the damn train
California Remains the World’s 5th Largest Economy.
Undergrounding and system upgrades should’ve happened yesterday! 🤬
Undergrounding and system upgrades should’ve happened yesterday! 🤬
System Hardening & Undergrounding
Learn about electric powerline undergrounding is a part of our system hardening-related wildfire safety work.
www.pge.com
January 13, 2025 at 1:41 AM
California Remains the World’s 5th Largest Economy.
Undergrounding and system upgrades should’ve happened yesterday! 🤬
Undergrounding and system upgrades should’ve happened yesterday! 🤬
Because our utility companies are profit-driven enterprises, and poor people aren't worth undergrounding lines for.
June 4, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Because our utility companies are profit-driven enterprises, and poor people aren't worth undergrounding lines for.
This is a great pledge but somewhat undermined by Plaid Cymru's policy of a "strong presumption" for undergrounding power lines.
Undergrounding costs ~5-10 times more than overhead cables/pylons (in parts of Wales you'd be digging under mountains & valleys). No doubt making many projects unviable.
Undergrounding costs ~5-10 times more than overhead cables/pylons (in parts of Wales you'd be digging under mountains & valleys). No doubt making many projects unviable.
Plaid Cymru pledges to make Wales a ‘world leader’ in renewable energy
Plaid Cymru has pledged to make Wales a “world leader” in renewable energy as the party set out its vision for the sector ahead of the Senedd election. The commitment comes as parties sharpen their po...
nation.cymru
April 15, 2026 at 9:03 AM
This is a great pledge but somewhat undermined by Plaid Cymru's policy of a "strong presumption" for undergrounding power lines.
Undergrounding costs ~5-10 times more than overhead cables/pylons (in parts of Wales you'd be digging under mountains & valleys). No doubt making many projects unviable.
Undergrounding costs ~5-10 times more than overhead cables/pylons (in parts of Wales you'd be digging under mountains & valleys). No doubt making many projects unviable.
Rubber undergrounding
December 12, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Rubber undergrounding
San Diego has maps:
www.sandiego.gov/undergrounding
www.sandiego.gov/undergrounding
Utilities Undergrounding Program | City of San Diego Official Website
www.sandiego.gov
July 8, 2026 at 9:48 PM
San Diego has maps:
www.sandiego.gov/undergrounding
www.sandiego.gov/undergrounding
Mark Mitchell wants to cut down all the trees around powerlines.
How about we force lines companies to invest in undergrounding critical infrastructure like they should have been doing for the last 30 years.
We need more trees for biodiversity, wind breaks & reducing urban heat islands, not less.
How about we force lines companies to invest in undergrounding critical infrastructure like they should have been doing for the last 30 years.
We need more trees for biodiversity, wind breaks & reducing urban heat islands, not less.
October 23, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Mark Mitchell wants to cut down all the trees around powerlines.
How about we force lines companies to invest in undergrounding critical infrastructure like they should have been doing for the last 30 years.
We need more trees for biodiversity, wind breaks & reducing urban heat islands, not less.
How about we force lines companies to invest in undergrounding critical infrastructure like they should have been doing for the last 30 years.
We need more trees for biodiversity, wind breaks & reducing urban heat islands, not less.
me estás diciendo que es el Undergrounding, la moda de los jóvenes para evitar el calor?
www.elpais.es/cultura/2026-30-06/Undergrounding-la-nueva-moda.htnl
www.elpais.es/cultura/2026-30-06/Undergrounding-la-nueva-moda.htnl
www.elpais.es
July 1, 2026 at 7:57 AM
me estás diciendo que es el Undergrounding, la moda de los jóvenes para evitar el calor?
www.elpais.es/cultura/2026-30-06/Undergrounding-la-nueva-moda.htnl
www.elpais.es/cultura/2026-30-06/Undergrounding-la-nueva-moda.htnl
Undergrounding not possible over mountains like these.
January 15, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Undergrounding not possible over mountains like these.
NES says they’ve been doing “strategic undergrounding” and they are planning to do a study to determine where undergrounding “might make sense for us”
(I vote for not doing a study and just burying the damn lines)
(I vote for not doing a study and just burying the damn lines)
February 11, 2026 at 3:12 AM
NES says they’ve been doing “strategic undergrounding” and they are planning to do a study to determine where undergrounding “might make sense for us”
(I vote for not doing a study and just burying the damn lines)
(I vote for not doing a study and just burying the damn lines)
I wonder if this is the inevitable cost of undergrounding power lines, or if it has the same cost bloat as most other forms of American infrastructure thanks to the holy trinity we see in everything else (overdimensioning, lack of standards harmonization, inefficient labor)
Because it would supposedly cost about 2.5% of US GDP to do this in California alone. www.renewableenergyworld.com/power-grid/o...
October 27, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I wonder if this is the inevitable cost of undergrounding power lines, or if it has the same cost bloat as most other forms of American infrastructure thanks to the holy trinity we see in everything else (overdimensioning, lack of standards harmonization, inefficient labor)
"Can you explain this gap in your resume?"
"Yes, I spent two years Velvet Undergrounding in Duluth"
"Ah, say no more"
"Yes, I spent two years Velvet Undergrounding in Duluth"
"Ah, say no more"
November 22, 2025 at 12:30 AM
"Can you explain this gap in your resume?"
"Yes, I spent two years Velvet Undergrounding in Duluth"
"Ah, say no more"
"Yes, I spent two years Velvet Undergrounding in Duluth"
"Ah, say no more"
I remember looking at years ago how they seemed to preference undergrounding in Remuera and Eastern suburbs and found that most curious.
September 23, 2026 at 8:19 AM
I remember looking at years ago how they seemed to preference undergrounding in Remuera and Eastern suburbs and found that most curious.
Not having the gas lines would also make undergrounding electric lines easier.
January 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Not having the gas lines would also make undergrounding electric lines easier.
1.8-6.1 according to CPUC. www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-a...
CPUC Undergrounding Programs Description
www.cpuc.ca.gov
January 11, 2025 at 2:04 AM
1.8-6.1 according to CPUC. www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-a...
Undergrounding is good policy in a city with lots of wind and tall trees. It needs to be spread out more equitably. And we need to figure out how to surcharge these neighborhoods with existing, poorly done underground wires to help catch up on maintenance.
My final Seattle Times story ran today and is about how rich neighborhoods’ push for underground power cables in the 1960s/70s has become a $3 billion problem for all of us today.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Fixing Seattle’s power outages continues a 1960s class divide
Decaying electrical cables, buried in the 1960s to beautify some of Seattle’s wealthiest neighborhoods, are the cause of the city’s long power outages.
www.seattletimes.com
August 16, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Undergrounding is good policy in a city with lots of wind and tall trees. It needs to be spread out more equitably. And we need to figure out how to surcharge these neighborhoods with existing, poorly done underground wires to help catch up on maintenance.
From California to Texas, electric utilities are struggling to manage mounting fire risk in a warming climate. They are spending more than ever before on lawsuits and settlements, as well as on preventative measures, such as undergrounding lines. 1/5
February 27, 2026 at 5:44 PM
From California to Texas, electric utilities are struggling to manage mounting fire risk in a warming climate. They are spending more than ever before on lawsuits and settlements, as well as on preventative measures, such as undergrounding lines. 1/5
People in r/sanjose are really convincing themselves that undergrounding VTA light rail is bad
December 27, 2023 at 4:48 PM
People in r/sanjose are really convincing themselves that undergrounding VTA light rail is bad
I can’t find specifics, but their Southern neighbor, SDG&E has been undergrounding lines since at least the ‘80s, despite similar earthquake risk…
April 6, 2024 at 11:06 PM
I can’t find specifics, but their Southern neighbor, SDG&E has been undergrounding lines since at least the ‘80s, despite similar earthquake risk…
Yeah undergrounding lines also helps. And removes the unsightly poles altogether.
July 11, 2024 at 8:43 PM
Yeah undergrounding lines also helps. And removes the unsightly poles altogether.
The level of utility undergrounding here is remarkable. There are no trees for a kilometer in this nature reserve and this line seems to connect to windmills, so I imagine they’re high voltage.
June 12, 2026 at 10:21 AM
The level of utility undergrounding here is remarkable. There are no trees for a kilometer in this nature reserve and this line seems to connect to windmills, so I imagine they’re high voltage.
Undergrounding is basically the single most expensive thing you can do with transit. It’s almost a logarithmic scale in added cost for additional feet in depth, width, and length. Anything you can do to reduce scope is an instant huge savings
Sitting here open-mouthed at this Sound Transit board presentation, because it was just explained that making Ballard Link's Seattle Center station "slightly trapezoidal" would save the agency a HALF BILLION DOLLARS.
February 12, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Undergrounding is basically the single most expensive thing you can do with transit. It’s almost a logarithmic scale in added cost for additional feet in depth, width, and length. Anything you can do to reduce scope is an instant huge savings
Photos of Kaohsiung Station:
After 22 years, the new station completes Kaohsiung’s rail undergrounding project…
#高雄車站 #高雄 #臺灣 #台灣 #kaohsiung #taiwan #architecture
www.taiwanquest.com/kaohsiung-st...
After 22 years, the new station completes Kaohsiung’s rail undergrounding project…
#高雄車站 #高雄 #臺灣 #台灣 #kaohsiung #taiwan #architecture
www.taiwanquest.com/kaohsiung-st...
Photos of Kaohsiung Station
After 22 years, the new station completes Kaohsiung’s rail undergrounding project…
www.taiwanquest.com
December 29, 2024 at 11:24 AM
Photos of Kaohsiung Station:
After 22 years, the new station completes Kaohsiung’s rail undergrounding project…
#高雄車站 #高雄 #臺灣 #台灣 #kaohsiung #taiwan #architecture
www.taiwanquest.com/kaohsiung-st...
After 22 years, the new station completes Kaohsiung’s rail undergrounding project…
#高雄車站 #高雄 #臺灣 #台灣 #kaohsiung #taiwan #architecture
www.taiwanquest.com/kaohsiung-st...
So why are California electricity prices high?
Utilities have passed on to customers the costs of wildfires+undergrounding transmission lines; the San Bruno+Aliso Canyon gas disasters, retrofitting gas pipes, keeping DC nuclear open; high T&D costs; and high fossil gas cost
Utilities have passed on to customers the costs of wildfires+undergrounding transmission lines; the San Bruno+Aliso Canyon gas disasters, retrofitting gas pipes, keeping DC nuclear open; high T&D costs; and high fossil gas cost
During the period in 2024, grid electricity demand decreased despite higher temperatures, more electric vehicles, and more datacenter electricity demand due to an increase in behind-the-meter PV that reduced the need for grid demand.
"Thus, data support models: a reliable wind-water-solar-dominated large grid appears feasible."
December 27, 2024 at 8:35 PM
So why are California electricity prices high?
Utilities have passed on to customers the costs of wildfires+undergrounding transmission lines; the San Bruno+Aliso Canyon gas disasters, retrofitting gas pipes, keeping DC nuclear open; high T&D costs; and high fossil gas cost
Utilities have passed on to customers the costs of wildfires+undergrounding transmission lines; the San Bruno+Aliso Canyon gas disasters, retrofitting gas pipes, keeping DC nuclear open; high T&D costs; and high fossil gas cost