In areas that get a lot of hurricanes like New Orleans, why isn’t most of the electricity run underground where it’s less vulnerable by now?

Question

In areas that get a lot of hurricanes like New Orleans, why isn’t most of the electricity run underground where it’s less vulnerable by now?

In: 2197

Answer 1

Running cable underground is more expensive typically and can be more difficult to install / replace if damaged. But in theory it’s a great idea for areas which are prone to high winds. Underground cable can have a lifetime of around 40 years in the service, often exceeding this so a slow but sure rollout of an underground cable network can work well for future proofing too. Although in some cases it’s likely that it isn’t feasible, either economically or construction wise due to difficult sub surface terrain etc.