PG&E Aims To Bury 10,000 Miles Of Overhead Power Lines In High-Risk Fire Zones
CHICO (CBS13) — PG&E on Wednesday announced plans to bury 10,000 miles of transmission lines.
Officials say the utility aims to start with high-fire risk areas around California.
"We have taken a stand that catastrophic wildfires shall stop," said Patti Poppe, PG&E's CEO.
The utility company's equipment has been linked to numerous fires in recent years, including the Camp Fire in 2018 - the deadliest wildfire in California history.
Further, this week, a preliminary report showed that PG&E equipment may have started the Dixie Fire currently burning in Butte County. That wildfire has grown to over 80,000 acres and has prompted evacuation orders.
PG&E says they maintain more than 25,000 miles of overhead power lines in high-fire risk areas.
If all goes as planned, the utility says they could reach the goal of replacing those overhead lines in 10 years.