Photo by Timothy Hoagland, Casey Trees.

DC is about to launch a massive project burying 163 miles of power lines. The project will improve power reliability, but hidden issues could impact neighborhood streetscapes and tree canopies.

After the 2012 derecho caused widespread power outages, DC began development of a plan to improve reliability during extreme weather, called DC Power Lines Undergrounding (DC PLUG). DC PLUG will cost nearly $1 billion to underground power lines throughout the city, which will improve power reliability during extreme weather.

But how will the lines be buried? Right now, the plan doesn’t specify where in the streetscape the underground lines will go. Burying the power line under sidewalks would allow DDOT and Pepco to avoid digging up streets during construction, but could hurt the health and safety of thousands of trees.

Approximately 8700 street trees are in the right-of-way along the 163 miles of power lines that DC PLUG has tapped for burial.

Instead of burying the lines under sidewalks, Casey Trees recommends burying the lines in the roadway:

Casey Trees’ preferred underground placement location. Image from Casey Trees.

If DC and Pepco bury lines in the roadway, the majority of communities with trees threatened by this project won’t be affected during construction. The city won’t have to recover or replant thousands of trees, and will preserve the beauty of DC’s historic tree-lined neighborhoods.

Above ground wires won’t disappear

Don’t get too excited over the prospect of a wire-free city. It would take $5 billion to fully underground every above ground wire within the city’s 21 identified vulnerable areas, never mind every wire in the city - money that’s not in the budget.

Locations of proposed underground lines. Image from Casey Trees.

According to DDOT and Pepco, DC PLUG will only bury the “primary” power lines of the 21 least reliable feeders. So even if your street is in an area targeted by DC PLUG, you’ll still have above ground wires. That’s because utility poles, secondary service lines, and other telecommunications wires will remain above ground. Streets where DDOT and Pepco propose to bury lines will see changes like this:

Before and after undergrounding of primary power lines. Images from DDOT.

Comment on Tuesday

Residents still have time to weigh in on the undergrounding project this week.

The DC Public Service Commission is holding a community hearing tomorrow night at 6:00 pm. The hearing location is the DC Public Service Commission hearing room, 1333 H St NW, 7th floor east tower.

If you’re unable to attend the hearing in person, you can still submit written testimony to the Commission at 1333 H Street, NW, Suite 200, West Tower, Washington DC 20005 until September 15.

The commission will vote on the plan after a congressional review period ends in October.

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Tagged: dc, ddot, government, pepco, power lines, public spaces, trees

Suraj Sazawal is the Advocacy Associate at Casey Trees, where he helps empower District residents to stand up for trees in the nation’s capital.

Emily Oaksford is the Planning Associate at Casey Trees.  She is a LEED Accredited Professional and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.