Finally, PG&E wants to do the right thing - and California regulators don't want them to do so. Do what? Bury electric lines.
• Many of California's wild fires are started by sparks from electric wires.
• California doesn't clean out its forest floors as well as it should.
• They allow new home construction in heavily wooded areas.
• Houses burn down and lives are lost.
• Home Insurance rates go up.
PG&E planned to bury 10,000 miles of power lines to stem the risk of them sparking wildfires. California regulators are likely to significantly restrict the number of power lines PG&E can bury in the coming years in favor of other ways to reduce fire risk. They argue that the burial process, known as undergrounding, is too expensive when customers are paying larger bills as a result of inflation and other investments to bolster the power grid.
QUESTION: Are the lobbyists for land developers and builders whispering in the regulators ears, or wiring money to their off shore accounts? Do the regulators prefer to fine PG&E for the cost of fires? To quote Peter, Paul, and Mary, "when will they ever learn....."
