Pacific Gas and Electric Company reaches a significant milestone in its ongoing effort to enhance safety and reduce wildfire risks.
The utility giant announces the completion of over 600 miles of underground powerlines adding that this year has seen the completion of an unprecedented 350 miles of lines, the highest in a single year and nearly twice as many as in 2022.
since mid-2021, nearly 24 miles in Plumas have been undergrounded. Though Butte county comes in at the top with over 96 miles completed.
Initially costing $4 million per mile, PG&E says they have reduced those costs to below $3 million per mile this year, exceeding their targeted cost reduction of $3.3 million per mile. This has resulted in two rate hikes the most recent last month reaching 13.8 billion dollars, with a third in the works for another $2 billion by March on an “interim basis” while the CPUC goes through the regulatory process to make it permanent.
The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved PG&E’s 2023-2026 General Rate Case, authorizing another over 1,200 miles of undergrounding during the next four years. PG&E is currently evaluating the decision and creating specific work plans for 2024 and beyond. By mid-year, PG&E plans to file its 10-Year Undergrounding Plan.
For more details on PG&E’s progress and information about the Undergrounding program, visit www.pge.com/undergrounding.
