PG&E Files 10-Year Electrical Undergrounding Plan to Deliver Permanent Wildfire Protection and Improve Safety, Reliability and Affordability
PG&E Files 10-Year Electrical Undergrounding Plan to Deliver Permanent Wildfire Protection and Improve Safety, Reliability and Affordability |
| [01-October-2026] |
Proposed 5,000-mile plan, spanning more than 30 counties, would reduce wildfire ignition risk by 98% and future outages by 90% on lines moved underground OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has filed a proposed 10-Year Electrical Undergrounding Plan (EUP) with the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety), outlining a long-term, risk-based strategy to improve safety and reliability in high wildfire-risk areas across Northern and Central California that delivers long-term benefits valued at $117 billion.
The proposed plan would place approximately 5,000 miles of electric distribution lines underground from 2028 to 2037 in locations where undergrounding is forecasted to provide the greatest reduction in wildfire risk. In these areas, undergrounding powerlines can reduce ignition risk by nearly 98% and improve reliability with 90% fewer outages. PG&E estimates that completing 5,000 miles of undergrounding will also save customers approximately $6 billion in vegetation management, operations and maintenance costs over the life of these assets. The plan includes work in more than 30 Northern and Central California counties. "Placing powerlines underground provides the most effective way to reduce wildfire risk and enhance reliability for customers within High Fire-Threat Districts," said Peter Kenny, PG&E Chief Delivery Officer and Electric Transmission and Distribution Senior Vice President. "A 10-year plan allows us to develop and execute projects with increased efficiency, which translates into cost savings for customers, all while delivering enhanced safety and reliability to the hometowns we are privileged to serve." Benefits for Customers
Focused on Affordability and Disciplined Investment Over the last few years, PG&E has reduced its undergrounding cost per mile by approximately 25%. The company expects a 10-year plan to enable continued improvements in planning, construction practices and supply chain coordination to help further improve efficiency and reduce costs over time. The proposal will be reviewed by Energy Safety, which will evaluate whether the plan substantially increases reliability and substantially reduces wildfire risk. If the plan is approved, PG&E will submit the plan and an application to the California Public Utilities Commission requesting conditional approval of the plan's costs. Data and Technology Puts the Right Solution in the Right Place The company's risk-based approach considers wildfire likelihood and consequence, system reliability, customer impacts, project costs and benefits, and how undergrounding compares with other wildfire mitigations. When undergrounding is not the best fit for a given location, PG&E may deploy other system upgrade measures, including installing strengthened poles, covered powerlines and other overhead system upgrades. This approach helps direct investments toward the solutions that provide the greatest overall value to customers while maintaining a strong focus on safety and reliability. Building on Proven Progress "Our customers deserve safer, more reliable energy service at the lowest possible cost," said Matt Pender, Undergrounding & System Hardening Vice President. "This plan continues our progress in delivering exactly that, making long-term investments that reduce wildfire risk, improve reliability and create savings over time." The complete filing, including a forecasted county workplan list, is available at pge.com/eup. About PG&E
SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company | ||
Company Codes: NYSE:PCG |
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