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PG&E finally agrees to bury killer power lines

Published on 40 Comments on PG&E finally agrees to bury killer power lines

Many of the wildfires in northern California are started by sparks from PG&E transmission lines crossing national forests. The law says that PG&E is supposed to clear the land around these lines, but for years they didn't bother and even today they aren't keeping up. Today, however, they announced that they were taking more serious action:

PG&E Corp. said Wednesday that it plans to bury 10,000 miles of power lines to reduce wildfire risk throughout Northern California at an estimated cost of up to $20 billion, reversing its earlier stance that doing so would be prohibitively expensive.

....“We know that we have long argued that undergrounding was too expensive,” Chief Executive Patti Poppe said. “This is where we say it’s too expensive not to underground. Lives are on the line.”

That's 10,000 miles out of a total of 20,000 miles of high-voltage lines. It's a good start, though PG&E hasn't announced their schedule for finishing the work.

It's also probably cost effective work, since PG&E has been losing so much money to lawsuits that $20 billion is a pretty good investment for them.

40 thoughts on “PG&E finally agrees to bury killer power lines”

  1. kenalovell

    It will of course create the risk that some idiot with an excavator can blackout a city by not bothering to check for underground cables before digging a ditch.

    1. Steve_OH

      That's not really likely in this case. High voltage transmission lines are buried deeply (typically around 6-8 feet), and are encased in conduit. Very high voltage lines are sometimes laid inside a concrete tunnel for service access.

      The greater risk is landslides and earthquakes.

    2. Austin

      Stupidity and laziness are always risks - but lots of places have their power lines buried and don't experience many metrowide blackouts from people digging ditches.

  2. rick_jones

    It's also probably cost effective work, since PG&E has been losing so much money to lawsuits that $20 billion is a pretty good investment for them.

    How much have they been losing to lawsuits so far?

    2. iamr4man

      “ As part of the Chapter 11 cases, PG&E previously reached settlements with all major wildfire victims' groups to be implemented pursuant to PG&E's Plan, valued at approximately $25.5 billion, including:
      An approximately $13.5 billion settlement resolving claims by individual victims and others relating to the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 Northern California Wildfires (including the 2017 Tubbs Fire), and the 2018 Camp Fire; this includes stock valued at approximately $6.75 billion based on an agreed-upon formula (the ultimate value of the stock could be higher or lower);
      A $1 billion settlement to satisfy the wildfire claims of certain cities, counties, and other public entities; and
      An $11 billion settlement with insurance companies and other entities that paid claims by individuals and businesses related to the wildfires.”
      https://www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/newsdetails/index.page?title=20200620_pge_achieves_bankruptcy_court_confirmation_of_its_plan_of_reorganization

  4. Salamander

    Okay, so The Free Market (aided by the Torte System) works again! At long last, and after irreparable losses, aka "Creative Destruction." There's gotta be a better way.

    1. jakejjj

      LOL. Of course there's a better way, but California's "progressives" are unscientific. They stopped listening to their experienced foresters who warned them in the 1980s that not taking care of their forests would lead to disaster. But "progressives" won't be caught dead knowing WTF they are talking about, much less listening to anyone who does.

      Heck of a job, "progressives." You could take care of this for pennies on the dollar, but why do that when you can keep fucking up?

        1. jakejjj

          Hey moron, that's part of it. I guess you're too stupid, arrogant, and lazy to see that California is going to spend half a billion to do exactly that. But you're a "progressive," so why actually know anything? LOL

      2. Salamander

        "Progressives" were running CA in the 1980s?? Who knew? And wasn't this The Golden Age of Reagan, back in DC, where the money to maintain federal lands comes from?

        1. jakejjj

          Hey shithead, go back and read what I wrote. Or have someone do it for you. LOL.

          By the way, lazy idiot, Reagan wasn't the gov in the 1980s. Is there ANYTHING you know? LOL

      3. MontyTheClipArtMongoose

        I'm-a let you Finnish... but El Jefe Maximo de Maralago had the greatest forest rake of all-time. All-time!

  5. ScentOfViolets

    Apparently there are multiple studies which show that burying power lines is cheaper in the long run simply restoring/replacing above-ground wiring when it goes down.

    Of course, the people who pay in the latter scenario aren't necessarily the ones running the network ...

  7. jakejjj

    Typical "progressive" California stupidity. That state deserves what it's getting. Truly a pack of disgusting, incompetent liberal morons who can't find their asses with both hands.

    1. S1AMER

      PG&E is "a pack of disgusting, incompetent liberal morons who can't find their asses with both hands"?

      That's news to many of us (and probably to PG&E as well).

      1. jakejjj

        No, YOUR CROWD is the incompetent idiots. This is not only unnecessary, but will raise electric rates and further exacerbate poverty in the state with the country's highest poverty rate. But hey, when you are a rich, stupid, racist California "progressive," why worry?

    2. Salamander

      Right! The California government needs to simply accept PG&E's thrifty business model, which is dependent upon minimal maintence at the cost (but not to them!!) of starting huge fires, but yields maximum Shareholder Value and Executive Compensation! Doesn't the CA Govt understand capitalism? Are they a bunch of commies who think governments are instituted for the benefit and protection of the governed? Sheesh!

        1. J. Frank Parnell

          You are getting incoherent again, jakejjj. Remember the drill: paper bag over mouth and nose, deep breaths.

          1. jakejjj

            Thanks for the advice, "progressive" racist.

            By the way, California's electric rates are now more than twice the national average, and the state has the highest poverty rate in the U.S., when adjusted for the cost of living.

            But no matter. You are a rich, snotty "progressive" who doesn't even bother to know how much it pays for electricity. Paying attention to the cost of living is for the ommon people, and shitheads like you laugh at them.

        2. Salamander

          Falling back on the ad hominem attack means you got nuthin'. My points prevail. Take a sedative and chill, bro.

  9. Vog46

    This is certainly a good move by PG&E. Costly but a good move overall.
    They will need, of course some above ground equipment, usually testing stations that will allow them to "isolate" sections of line should the need arise to replace a section.
    This sounds like a good idea for infrastructure monies.
    I wish our power lines were underground.

    1. jakejjj

      Completely unnecessary, and anyone who knows anything -- which excludes Kev and his lazy, stupid, arrogant, racist "progressivee" fan club -- knows it. Not only that, but by doing this and not the far cheaper and quicker fixes, the morons who run California have ensured not only much higher electric bills, but a future full of fires and blackouts.

      No wonder California's population is stagnant. That's going to get a lot worse, as high costs and unreliable electricity send businesses and people elsewhere. LOL

  10. pjcamp1905

    Where is PG&E going to get the cash? It exited bankruptcy last year with 50% more debt than when it entered. Sure, in the long term this is great for the company as well as the public, but in the short term they have to pay for it.

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