PG&E moves power underground in plan to bury 10,000 miles

By HAVEN DALEY
Associated Press

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is working on an ambitious project to bury thousands of miles of power lines in an effort to prevent wildfires sparked by its equipment and to avoid shutting down power during hot and windy weather. Once considered too costly, PG&E changed its mind after its aging equipment ignited several deadly wildfires and now plans to bury 10,000 miles of lines. Since 2017 the utility has been blamed for more than 30 wildfires that wiped out more than 23,000 homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. PG&E says it will bury 175 miles this year in central and Northern California at a cost of $3.75 million per mile.