As Action News Now reported, PG&E has undergrounded one thousand five hundred miles of power lines since twenty twenty-one. This multi-year initiative undertaken by PG&E focuses on enhancing the reliability and safety of the electrical distribution network throughout the affected service areas. According to public statements from PG&E, undergrounding reduces wildfire ignition risk by ninety-eight percent. Furthermore, operational data provided by PG&E indicates that customers experience ninety percent fewer outages from underground lines when compared to traditional overhead configurations that remain vulnerable to weather and environmental hazards.
Highlighting the significance of reaching this milestone, company representatives emphasized the tangible benefits delivered to local populations. "Undergrounding is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect our customers and communities from wildfire risk," Pender told Action News Now. Expanding on the operational impact of these infrastructure investments, Pender added, "Reaching 1,500 miles is an important milestone, but what matters most is what those miles deliver: safer communities, fewer outages, and more reliable electric service over decades for the customers we're privileged to serve."
The deployment of these underground power lines has been distributed across multiple jurisdictions since the inception of the program in twenty twenty-one. Regionally, Butte County completed four hundred twenty-seven miles between twenty twenty-one and twenty twenty-six, representing a substantial portion of the total work completed. Other local jurisdictions have also recorded significant mileage under the initiative. El Dorado County completed one hundred ninety-five miles, Placer County completed one hundred fifty-four miles, and Shasta County completed one hundred fifty-two miles. Additional tracking shows that Tehama County had thirty-six miles and Yuba County had nine miles completed within their respective boundaries.
Despite the progress achieved thus far, the future trajectory of the undergrounding initiative involves broader regulatory considerations and planning proposals. PG&E has submitted a proposed ten-year plan designed to bury five thousand miles of power lines across more than thirty counties. However, the realization of this extensive long-term strategy depends heavily on upcoming regulatory determinations by state oversight bodies. Specifically, the California Public Utilities Commission has introduced a CPUC proposed decision that could potentially restrict undergrounding to one thousand one hundred miles, creating uncertainty regarding the ultimate scale of future utility subterranean construction.
