[context: I’m in a small city of 6k people. This stupid town is known for constant power outages due to high wind and snow. Are they stubborn or is it really that hard to switch this small town to underground power so we stop having power outages anytime someone even sneezes?]
In: 38
Cost, space, current utility pole utilization by other services and the impact on squirrels main mode of safe travel. Mainly cost, the cost to the 6k taxpayers, the city and the funding used for general city management.
In a town of 6k people with such a small tax base, is the cost worth the effort? The increase cost in consumer electric bills, bond measures required, new taxes and allocation of general city funds to this effort would negatively impact every other aspect of city government for decades. It would be cheaper to provide everyone with electric generators and fuel every season. The taxpayers who don’t have power outages would surely balk this expense.
But lets say your rally the town and start digging, because the snows coming and that breeze is feeling a little more utility pole snapping in strength…
– Moving electrical underground requires placement of concrete encased duct banks, manholes and vaults with installed transformer and switching equipment. Then there are secondary conduits branching from there to one side of the street and the other. Probably a lot more that we take for granted that would need to be put down there as well.
– This has to be placed citywide, impacting the residential areas adversely, may require the relocation of above ground structures or infrastructure and lawsuits from residents and companies having to adjust to make the project work.
– There are many services running underground already that would be impacted.
– Utility poles often serve multiple functions including hardware telephone services, cable television lines and fiber. Moving electric underground may not seem feasible if the utility poles and their issues in adverse weather remain.
– The City of New York (where I found some of these highlights) [did a study in 2013](https://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/downloads/pdf/power_lines_study_2013.pdf) that looked at placing the remainder of their electrical underground. With 82% already underground, the estimated cost to get the last 18% was $7.8-$8.29 million per mile, or $42 billion.
– Most likely you will need to retain attorneys to fight all the lawsuits from things like eminent domain protests to activists filing a stay because power lines are utilized by a migratory bird species and/or extra cost to build a squirrel tunnels to replace their main mode of safe transportation for over a hundred years. Or maybe I don’t want an electrical substation near my house. Someone will have an issue resulting in litigation.
Latest Answers