HOUSTON — You see buried power lines in places where extreme weather can wreak havoc on delicate lines suspended between power poles -- think spots like Buffalo, New York.
While we may not get buried under feet of snow, Houston is no stranger to wicked weather, considering we see everything from tornadoes to hurricanes. So why don’t we put those power lines safe underground? The short answer is it is hard.
The first problem is the expense. According to Texas Monthly, Northern California’s PG&E looked into burying 10,000 miles of overhead power lines in 2021. The company found it would cost them $2.5 million for each mile. According to CenterPoint Energy, there are over 28,000 miles of overhead distribution lines in the Houston area. And keep in mind that the cost of all that work would eventually make its way to customers.
And then there are the practical problems. Burying power lines in heavily developed areas is pretty tough thanks to all the other stuff down there like internet cables, sewers and gas lines.
Flood plains also make it tough to put power lines underground since water and electricity don’t mix well. And power companies do report that it is easier to fix problems when lines are above ground.