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Underground lines , Metal poles , wood poles easily break while Metal poles can handle alot of weight... Of Course this is the US....we don't invest in ourselves....we also need Tidal barriers and more leeves....and restored wetlands....
Underground would do it for many towns. But I have the suspicion that political priorities had something to do with it too. Why did some barrier islands get power back before western Essex and Morris counties? Answer: media's eyes were on the shore towns, and Atlantic City is of course a showpiece.
BTW my house is still apparently without power though some of WO got it back tonight.
Underground lines don't really make that much difference because at some point the lines are above ground. I've lived with underground lines for the last 25 years and we lose power all the time.
Underground lines are a pain, when they get damaged by flood. You are out of power even longer.
Chopping down tall trees would make a huge difference. Many of the power outages to overhead lines are a result of downed trees. If you look at the crew numbers for the power companies, they have just as many tree trimming crews as linesman.
Underground lines don't really make that much difference because at some point the lines are above ground. I've lived with underground lines for the last 25 years and we lose power all the time.
All lines need to go underground , usually in areas where you get storms alot or high winds..... Go on Google Maps , most of European lines are underground even in the countryside and coastal areas and where there above ground the poles are metal. Wood is used in Japan , a few countries aside from the US...and Canada but Metal is becoming popular. Russia has put 90% of its grid underground....
Have you ever even been to Europe? There are many aerial lines there. Metal poles are not going to help when trees come crashing down, the lines will break or the poles will be pulled out of the ground. And metal poles can become energized and present a greater hazard.
I don't know what the cost of converting existing overhead lines to underground lines would cost but I'm pretty sure the rate payers would balk when presented with the cost.
Plus add in the permit process, lawsuits from EPA types, political chicanery and so on and it could take decades.
Look how long it took to complete some of the highways in NJ (24 from Short Hills to Morristown comes to mind).
Underground lines , Metal poles , wood poles easily break while Metal poles can handle alot of weight
Like this time when the areas flooded and all the equipment was destroyed and the lines were filled with salt water? Then who pays for the hookups? The homeowner is responsible for bringing it from the street to the home. So trenching to the house and possibly under roadways in many cases will be a few thousands per home. Fine for commercial and apartment complexs. Individual homes? Refitting would be billions.
When there's a problem, then the crews spend a day on each issue. so you waits days instead of hours. It's far from a perfect solution.
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I don't know what the cost of converting existing overhead lines to underground lines would cost
At each home there needs to be a "drop". when the drop is across the roadway, what would you think the cost would be?? Quite a lot. When do you think Verizon stopped installing FIOS?
Numbers tossed around the net are from $5 to $15 million per mile to bury distribution. This being NJ, expect the upper end. I don't know if that includes drops. I spent three days once waiting for an underground transformer repair that would have been mere hours if the transformer had been above ground, but I think outside areas prone to flooding that underground would be better overall.
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