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1. What is Undergrounding?

"Undergrounding" refers to burial of our existing overhead utilities. These include electricity (PG&E), cable TV/broadband Internet (Comcast), and fiber and landline phones (AT&T). Burying the lines means removing the poles, and relocating some wireless transmitters (like those used by PG&E for collecting smart meter data). Most undergrounding projects now place transformers and switchgear in surface pad-mounted enclosures for reliability. The wires and conduits are buried alongside or under our roads, possibly under our existing pathways to reduce traffic disruption.

2. What is Electric Tariff Rule 20?

Tariff Rule 20 is the method established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the implementation of the overhead utility underground conversion programs.

Rule 20A projects are constructed in areas of a community that are used most often by the general public. Rule 20A projects are nominated by the city or county and are paid for by the electric utility ratepayers. Under Rule 20A, the CPUC requires the utility to allocate a certain amount of work credits each year to the cities and unincorporated counties for conversion projects. Because ratepayers contribute the bulk of the costs of Rule 20A programs through utility rates, the projects must be in the public interest by meeting one or more of the following public interest criteria:               

•   Eliminate an unusually heavy concentration of overhead lines;

•   Involve a street or road with a high volume of public traffic;

•   Benefit a civic or public recreation area or area of unusual scenic interest;

•   Be listed as an arterial street or major collector as defined in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) Guidelines.

The determination of “general public interest” under these criteria is made by the local government, after holding public hearings, in consultation with the utility.

In addition, the community must also have accumulated enough Rule 20A work credit allocations to fund a project. Such allocations are given out annually by the utility and communities can accumulate them over several years until they have sufficient funding to complete a project. Communities may borrow forward five years to obtain additional credits.  Once enough work credits are available, the community forms a utility underground district by municipal resolution to initiate a project.

3. What are the benefits of the Utility Undergrounding?

The primary benefit of Utility Undergrounding is to reduce the risk of fires caused by overhead electric wires, and downed power poles along the Town’s Evacuation Routes. The other project benefits include service reliability with reduce outages, public safety, and aesthetics and reduced maintenance and operating costs due to storms and fires.

4. How will this project affect local traffic during construction?

One lane of traffic will be open at all times during construction with flaggers directing traffic during the day. Both lanes will be restored with embedded steel trench plates installed at the end of each work day.

5. Will my driveway remain open during construction?

Property owner will have continued access during construction. The Contractor will provide notification before performing work around the driveways.

6. How long is the power outage when the wires are converted from overhead to underground?

Shutdowns will be approximately 4 hours during switch over from overhead to underground.

7. Which utilities are typically in the joint trench?

Typical utilities in a joint trench include natural gas, electric service, telecommunications, and cable television.

8. Will additional right-of-way or easements be required for the undergrounding?

Per the current preliminary design, no additional right-of-way or easements will be required to underground the existing utilities.