#417 - Buried or Overhead: The Pros, Cons, and Costs of Underground Utilities

The Construction Corner · Mar 25, 2026 · 7m

After losing power for nearly a week following a massive snowstorm — complete with exploding trees, a fallen line ripped from a neighbor's weatherhead, and Caltrans traffic control on a state highway — host Dillon digs into one of the most debated topics in utility infrastructure: should power lines go underground? He breaks down the real costs involved (think $3–5 million per mile today), the tradeoffs between above-ground and underground systems, and why neither option is a clear winner. From PG&E's proactive undergrounding efforts in fire-prone California to the buried utility nightmares…