Undergrounding power lines can cost as much as $6.1 million per mile, which is just one of the reasons Orinda residents aren’t going to see a lot of work like this in the near future.
Orindans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for more power lines to be buried underground.
In 2021, no more than 15% of the city’s power lines were underground, and the needle hasn’t moved since then. And there are no plans to start digging any time soon.
But despite the elevated risk in Orinda, and even though a PG&E spokesperson said the company is “prioritizing undergrounding in areas where we can have the greatest impact on reducing wildfire risk and wildfire safety-related outages,” residents can expect only 1,050 feet of undergrounding in the near future.
It is true, however, that PG&E can’t afford to underground power lines everywhere. Such projects come with a very large price tag. It can cost as much as $6.1 million per mile to remove overhead power lines, according to one estimate, which means the one small Orinda project in PG&E’s plans would still cost more than $1 million.
That project would address about a quarter-mile of Camino Pablo between El Toyonal and Camino Sobrante, but even though it was approved four years ago, PG&E won’t break ground for about another five years, making it a decade-long endeavor. Construction isn’t expected to start until 2030, after PG&E completes its part of the preparation, including advanced planning, which is estimated to begin around 2027 or 2028.
One issue is that the funding for that project comes from PG&E’s Rule 20A program, which is specifically limited to “commercial areas for aesthetic benefits.”
Orinda is allocated about $200,000 a year for Rule 20A projects, said Scott Christie, Orinda’s Director of Public Works and Engineering. Once the balance reaches $1 million, the city begins to explore projects that fit within Rule 20A requirements. For this 1,050-foot project, PG&E will pay for the undergrounding work, and Orinda will pay for costs not covered, such as the street lights, which amounts to about 10 to 15% of the total cost.
That 10 to 15% will exhaust much of Orinda’s Rule 20A allocated credits and it looks like this project will be the last, since the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has decided to end Rule 20A at the end of 2033.
And those 1,050 feet of undergrounding are all that’s planned for Orinda.
Instead, PG&E’s focus has been on “hardening” the aboveground lines, which can include replacing, removing or installing poles as needed. PG&E estimates that once system upgrades are completed on a line, the ignition risk decreases by 67%.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) website (bit.ly/46Sr2m3) for hardening – $634,000-$760,000 per mile – is about eight times less than undergrounding wires.
The state does have other fire safety programs aside from Rule 20A, but despite Orinda’s high-risk designation, no local projects have been approved.
For example, SB 884, the Electric Expedited Undergrounding Program, requires large electrical corporations like PG&E to “prioritiz[e] undergrounding projects based on wildfire risk reduction, public safety, cost efficiency, and reliability benefits. Only undergrounding projects located in Tier 2 or 3 high fire-threat districts or rebuild areas may be considered and constructed as part of the program.”
And yes, Orinda does have Tier 2 and 3 high fire-threat districts, but there aren’t any SB 884 undergrounding projects designated for the city. In fact, Contra Costa County as a whole will not see many more underground lines from SB 884. Even with the county’s large sections of high risk areas, PG&E plans less than one mile of completed undergrounding in Contra Costa County in 2025 and 2026.
Michelle Jun can be reached at michellejun@gmail.com.
