Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reports that it has completed work to underground powerlines along 2.2 miles of Highway 89 between Indian Falls and Moccasin in Plumas County. Customers in the area are now served by the new underground powerlines.
Traffic controls ended in late October because asphalt repairs are on hold; they will resume next year after winter. PG&E will later remove the overhead powerlines that the underground powerlines replaced.
“We at PG&E are deeply committed to doing everything we can to prevent wildfires in the communities we serve and live in,” said Joe Wilson, vice president of PG&E’s North Valley and Sierra Region and a Plumas County native. “Our region has been devastated by wildfires in recent years. Undergrounding work protects our customers, neighbors, friends, and families.”
The work is part of PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program and is conducted in response to California’s growing wildfire risk. PG&E said it is committed to moving 10,000 miles of powerlines underground in the highest fire-risk areas to reduce wildfire risk and improve reliability throughout California.
PG&E reports that burying powerlines is the most effective solution to reducing the risk of wildfire from electrical equipment, reducing the risk of ignitions in areas at the highest risk of wildfire by nearly 98 percent. Undergrounding also makes power more reliable by reducing outages caused by winter storms, and in some cases it eliminates the need for safety shutoffs.
Other PG&E powerline undergrounding projects currently underway in Plumas County include the following:
- Along Highway 70 east of the Plumas-Butte county line.
- Along Highway 70 between Storrie and Belden.
- Areas of Greenville.
When completed, about 60 miles of underground powerlines will be providing service to customers in Plumas County. For more information about road impacts, customers may call PG&E’s Customer Rebuild Line at (800) 254-5810. For more information about PG&E, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
Information submitted by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
