Public support for undergrounding power lines in California remains high, according to a recent poll by David Binder Research. The survey found that almost 90% of Californians back the idea of their energy company burying power lines to reduce wildfire risk.
The poll also indicated that over 70% of respondents believe utilities should invest more in undergrounding compared to other mitigation strategies, such as installing covered conductor or using proactive outages.
Peter Kenny, Senior Vice President of Electric Operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), commented on the findings: “PG&E prides itself on using multiple layers of protection to keep our communities safe from wildfires, but this data demonstrates that our customers, and customers of all California energy companies, recognize the unique reliability and safety benefits that undergrounding brings to the table. Undergrounding eliminates nearly all of the wildfire risk on lines that have been buried, and when done at scale, protects hundreds, if not thousands, of critical facilities like schools, hospitals and fire stations from weather-related outages.”
This strong public endorsement comes as state regulators are reviewing new guidelines for long-term undergrounding plans. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is considering rules that would guide efforts requested by Senate Bill 884 in 2023. Draft versions of these guidelines have raised concerns among utilities about possible obstacles to multi-year planning. If adopted as currently written, PG&E warns it may be difficult to present a comprehensive long-term plan.
More than 30 local governments, chambers of commerce and large energy companies have urged the CPUC to revise its proposed guidelines to better support expanded undergrounding initiatives across California. The CPUC is scheduled to vote on these guidelines during its November 20 meeting.
For additional information about PG&E’s wildfire safety work, visit pge.com/wildfiresafetyprogess.
