PG& E
COOL, Calif.— As part of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) commitment to reduce
wildfire risk and create a safer and more resilient grid, PG&E is undergrounding overhead
powerlines in the commercial area Cool in El Dorado County.
PG&E crews will work to underground more than a mile of power lines through the end of 2023,
with work starting June 5 in the vicinity the intersection of highways 49 and 193.
To minimize traffic impacts, PG&E will bore under the highways rather than trench across them.
But at times there will be brief traffic impacts during construction.
Undergrounding in local communities can reduce the risk of ignitions along undergrounded
circuits by 99 percent; reduce annual spending on temporary repairs and other recurring costs
such as vegetation management; and lessen the need for wildfire safety-related outages.
“Targeted undergrounding in high fire-risk areas will make our system safer and more resilient
to better serve customers and respond to the state’s evolving climate challenges,” said Joe
Wilson, regional vice president of PG&E’s North Valley and Sierra Region. “Undergrounding
powerlines benefits all of our customers, reducing maintenance and operating costs long-term
and preventing wildfires that affect us all.”
PG&E is notifying customers along project routes by letter or automated phone calls.
Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, except holidays, weather permitting.
One-way traffic controls and will be in effect at times, and motorists may experience traffic
delays and limited parking. Crews will deliberately work small sections at a time to minimize
impacts. Work will happen in phases over many months, and crews may not be seen at times.
PG&E is working closely with El Dorado County and other agencies to ensure our work is wellcoordinated with other projects such as road work.
PG&E has recently undergrounded power lines in other areas of Cool, such as along Brush N
Rocks Lane, Ricci Lane, Cramer Road, Ahwahnee Way and Coon Creek. Currently, PG&E
forecasts approximately 14 miles of undergrounding in El Dorado County for 2023.
In 2021, PG&E announced a multiyear plan to underground 10,000 miles of distribution
powerlines in high-fire risk areas. PG&E is prioritizing undergrounding in areas where it can
have the greatest effect on reducing wildfire risk.
After the undergrounding is complete, PG&E will remove the existing overhead distribution
powerlines. However, other equipment including poles and lower-voltage secondary lines and
telecommunications lines may remain.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a
combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000
square miles in Northern and Central California.
For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
