PG&E: 3,600 miles of powerlines to be buried in next 5 years

CALIFORNIA (KION-TV)-- PG&E said that over the next five years they will be burying almost 3,600 miles of powerlines across Northern and Central California.

This is a part of PG&E's initiative to bury 10,000 miles of distribution lines in areas at high risk of wildfires.

70 miles have already been placed as of 2021 and that number will jump to 1,200 miles in 2026.

The cost comes down to $3.75 million per mile, with a hope to reduce that price by 33% over the next five years through economies of scale.

"Undergrounding is a strong long-term solution for PG&E to reduce wildfire risk in certain parts of our service area," CEO of PG&E Patti Poppe said.

On top of burying powerlines, PG&E is planning to install more microgrids to replace overhead power lines in remote areas with high wildfire risks.