PG&E completes 1,000 miles of undergrounding in wildfire-prone Calif. regions
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has completed 1,000 miles of underground powerlines in high fire–risk areas of Northern and Central California. The milestone is part of the utility’s ongoing effort to reduce wildfire ignition risk, which also includes stronger overhead poles, covered wires, and vegetation management.
Since 2023, PG&E estimates that its system-hardening measures have cut wildfire ignition risk across its grid by 8.4%. Undergrounding projects are now serving customers in 27 counties, with the largest concentrations in Butte and Shasta counties. By 2026, the company expects to reach 1,600 miles of buried powerlines, which it says would reduce overall system wildfire risk by 18%.
PG&E reports that the cost of undergrounding has fallen from $4 million per mile in 2021 to $3.1 million in 2025, with further reductions anticipated through new equipment, local contractor hiring, and more efficient construction methods.
The company has also installed more than 1,400 miles of strengthened poles and covered conductors, and continues to monitor wildfire conditions using a network of weather stations and HD cameras. Federal and state regulators have identified undergrounding as a key component of long-term wildfire mitigation in California’s high-risk zones.
Related News
From Archive
- Dominion proposes 186-mile underground HVDC power line across Virginia
- Inside Sempra’s 72-mile pipeline with 18 major trenchless crossings
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Trump vetoes bill to finish $1.3 billion Colorado water pipeline
- Massive water line failure leaves majority of Waterbury without service
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- Massive water line failure leaves majority of Waterbury without service
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Construction jobs stumble into 2026 after weak year
- Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs
Comments