Extreme weather, electrification, data center growth, and aging transmission are pushing utilities to bury more power lines, according to a sponsored Utility Dive report. Underground systems are shielded from storms and collisions, degrade more slowly, and fail less often, the report says. Lightweight, prefabricated duct banks also reduce labor hours, which matters in a tight skilled-worker market.
The report highlights three projects. PG&E's wildfire-mitigation program has energized more than 1,200 miles of underground lines since 2021, and per-mile costs have fallen from above $4 million to about $3.1 million as designs standardized. Winter Park, Florida, is roughly 81% underground and expects about $70 million in net savings by its 2030 completion date. Consumers Energy's $3.7 million pilot buried nine miles across six Michigan counties and recorded a 100% reduction in storm outages; the utility aims to bury 50 more miles over five years.
The article also credits digital design tools, cable-pulling software, and prefabricated duct banks for making underground construction more predictable. It then compares conduit materials, arguing that fiberglass conduit (RTRC) avoids problems like PVC's burn-through risk and steel's weight. Because the piece is sponsored by Champion Fiberglass, a fiberglass conduit manufacturer, those material claims should be read with that commercial interest in mind.