Undergrounding
Consumers Energy burying power lines near Standish, Mich.
Consumers Energy crews have begun the second week of a project to bury two miles of power lines near Standish, aiming to improve the region’s electric grid by protecting lines from falling trees and severe weather.
Houston faces hurdles in transitioning to underground power lines amid severe weather concerns
Given Houston's vulnerability to hurricanes, relocating power lines underground could theoretically reduce the risk of prolonged outages. However, this concept faces significant obstacles.
Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
Berkeley city officials are pressing Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to include their city in a plan to underground 10,000 miles of power lines in regions with the highest fire danger, The Berkeley Scanner reported.
Unprecedented storms raise questions about undergrounding Houston’s power lines
Currently, Houston has extensive underground distribution and transmission lines, but the high costs and challenges associated with burying more lines, particularly in developed areas and flood-prone regions, are significant obstacles.
Google to invest $1 billion in Hawaiʻi's subsea internet infrastructure with new fiber-optic cables
Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, leader of Connect Kākou, Hawaiʻi’s high-speed internet initiative, and Benji Robinson, Asia Pacific director for Google, unveiled plans for the construction of a $1 billion project to create new fiber-optic internet subsea cables.
HyperFiber launches fiber-optic internet service in Port Charlotte, Fla.
HyperFiber, an independent fiber internet provider, has launched its gigabit-speed services in Port Charlotte, Florida, offering reliable connectivity to over 31,000 homes in the area.
Core & Main to acquire EGW Utilities, enhancing underground utility offerings
Core & Main Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EGW Utilities Inc., a distributor of quality products and services to underground utility contractors and municipalities, based in Texas.
Enbridge selects contractors Barnard, CBNA for Great Lakes Tunnel construction
(UI) — Enbridge selects Barnard Construction Company Inc. and Civil and Building North America Inc. to construct the Great Lakes Tunnel, safeguarding Line 5 pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Underground infrastructure overhaul planned for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, N.M.
A critical piece of underground infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is about to get a makeover.
$274 million investment to improve water quality across Pennsylvania
This investment, facilitated through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, will fund 30 projects focusing on drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source issues.
Harnessing advanced technologies for underground engineering success
Underground construction endeavors are intricate, demanding meticulous planning, execution and risk management. With billions of dollars invested and millions impacted annually, the stakes are monumental.
California's DWR completes groundbreaking mapping program
California's Department of Water Resources (DWR) has concluded its groundwater mapping initiative, offering crucial insights into the state's underground water reservoirs.
Enstor eyes FERC nod to double underground gas storage capacity at Mississippi Hub
Enstor Gas LLC has submitted an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for an expansion of its underground natural gas storage facility located in Simpson County, Mississippi.
Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe secures funding for underground power line project
FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program has allocated $872,894 to support the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's underground power line conversion initiative.
Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
Surveys and studies reveal that professional excavators/contractors are highly aware of Common Ground Alliance’s (CGA) 811 initiative that requires they (as well as landscapers and homeowners) contact their state’s OneCall Center so underground utility lines are identified and marked before breaking ground.
Western sanctions impacting Russian underground infrastructure
The Russian sector of underground infrastructure construction is potentially in a serious crisis. The ever deepening shortage of funding and the lack of technologies are posing a threat for implementation of many investment projects and planned modernization of existing infrastructure.
Colorado Springs Utilities undertakes underground power line shift post-2021 windstorm
In Colorado Springs, efforts are underway by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to relocate power lines underground after identifying susceptibility during a windstorm in 2021.
California regulators greenlight program to accelerate electric infrastructure undergrounding
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has introduced a new initiative aimed at accelerating the undergrounding of electric distribution infrastructure across the state. This program, mandated by Senate Bill (SB) 884, targets increased system resilience and climate adaptation.
Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
Elon Musk's Boring Company incurred fines exceeding $112,000 due to safety breaches flagged by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the construction of the Vegas Loop underground tunnel last year.
Consumers Energy to bury electric lines in six Michigan counties
Consumers Energy has announced the approval of a targeted undergrounding pilot program by the Michigan Public Service Commission. With a $3.7 million investment, the company plans to bury 10 miles of overhead power lines within the next year.
I&M commences reconstruction of underground power line in Muncie, Ind.
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) representatives plan to start construction next week to rebuild an aging underground power line along Tillotson Avenue in Muncie.
Underground electric cable replacement program in Geneva, Ill., to bolster service reliability
The city of Geneva, Illinois, is set to improve the reliability of its electric service by undertaking an underground cable replacement project slated to commence in March.
Austin Energy's distribution system undergoes assessment for underground feasibility
Twin independent studies by engineering firm Burns & McDonnell will begin in March 2024 to assess the underground feasibility and overhead resiliency of Austin Energy’s distribution system.
New York State OKs $57.8 million underground transmission line linking Nanuet to West Nyack
The New York State Public Service Commission has greenlit a $57.8 million project to install a new underground transmission line spanning approximately five-and-one-half miles between the Burns substation and the West Nyack Substation in the town of Clarkstown, New York.
Hawaiian Electric's $190 million grid resilience plan approved with undergrounding initiatives
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved Hawaiian Electric's $190 million Climate Adaptation Transmission and Distribution Resilience Program application, which will help defend against the increasing threat of wildfires.
Exodigo, PNNL partner to advance underground power line technology
Exodigo will work with participating utilities to support GOPHURRS' mission to strengthen and modernize America's aging power grid through the development of cost-effective, high-speed, and safe undergrounding technologies.
OPALCO invests in underground power lines project in Washington's Doe Bay area
OPALCO has commenced a project to relocate overhead power lines to an underground system, covering the (temporary) Doe Bay bridge to the Eagle Lake intersection in Washington.
Maryland's ambitious flood mitigation project set to break ground in Ellicott City
The Extended North Tunnel, designed to carry 26,000 gallons of stormwater per second through a mile-long, 18-foot diameter tunnel, is a crucial element in the multimillion-dollar initiative to mitigate flooding in Ellicott City, Maryland.
DOE awards $34 million for advancing underground power line technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $34 million for 12 projects across 11 states to strengthen and modernize America’s aging power grid through the development of cost-effective, high-speed, and safe undergrounding technologies.
Crossing the Bay
West of Houston, the region’s petrochemical infrastructure creates a tangled maze of pipelines, roads, swamps and endangered ecosystems. Performing HDD operations here would challenge any contractor. Add a crossing under the Intercoastal Waterway to the mix – arguably the busiest commercial shipping channel in the United States – and you have a job that is not for the faint of heart.
- 290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Body retrieved day after fatal trench collapse at Bakersfield, Calif., job site
- $227 million Garnet Valley water project advances, set to create 73,000 jobs in Nevada
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
- Gehl and Mustang offer world’s largest skid loader
- Growing Pains and Gains
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish