Weather & Science
PG&E Plan to Bury Power Lines to Minimize Wildfire Risk Clears Hurdle in California
- Utility aims to bury 10,000 miles of power lines to stop fires
- California measure will speed up review of PG&E’s plan
A firefighter extinguishes a structure fire in the Montclair Hills neighborhood of Oakland, California, in Oct. 2020. The preliminary cause of the fire was an overloaded generator. PG&E cut power in the area to prevent live wires from falling into dry brush during the wind storms.
Photographer: Philip Pacheco/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
California lawmakers passed a bill late Wednesday that aims to speed up a review of an ambitious plan by PG&E Corp. to bury its power lines in areas at greatest risk for wildfires.
The measure, if signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, would require state agencies to evaluate PG&E’s proposal within 18 months and mandate oversight of the utility’s work if its plan is approved.