As reconstructions begin at Pallisard in the Pacific following the Palisade fire, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is moving forward with plans to deploy 4,000 power lines underground, officials announced Thursday.
After the Utilities Department has replaced 800 power poles over the past two months to help bring electricity to disaster-hit coastal communities, the ultimate goal is to move them underground forever.
“We are committed to placing all the Palisades underground and underground,” LADWP CEO Janisse Quiñones added that the current cost estimate is “$1 million to $14 million per mile.”
“We’re also increasing the voltage in this area to increase the capacity of the system,” she said. “We are upgrading to a higher voltage and upgrading our substations.
Quiñones said FEMA funding and grants will help pay for the underground system, but authorities cannot guarantee that costs will not be passed on to LADWP customers.
“We don’t know how much of an impact it will have, but we’re trying to dramatically mitigate that impact,” Quiñones said.
LADWP did not provide a timeline as to how long it would take to complete the entire system.
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