Palisades and Eaton Fire rebuilding efforts include moving power lines underground

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Preventing future wildfires is a big part of the rebuilding effort for the Palisades and Eaton Fire burn areas, and at the heart of those efforts is burying the power lines.

The Camp Fire in 2018 destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85 people. The Dixie Fire in 2021, burned nearly a million acres in northern California. And here in Southern California, the Thomas Fire in 2017 and the Woolsey Fire in 2018.

These are examples of destructive and deadly wildfires caused by above-ground power lines or power equipment.

"What I've said is...pay now or pay later... Maybe you're paying at a higher cost because more than likely it's loss of property or lives," L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

Several lawsuits have been filed claiming Southern California Edison (SCE) lines started the Eaton Fire in January.

So as rebuilding begins in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, utility companies and local officials are moving their lines underground.

"Since day one of the restoration, we have decided to go fully underground," said Janisse Quinones, LADWP CEO.

"This is an opportunity that I'm sure many would give up if they could have their homes back, but now that they've lost them, let's do it right," said Barger.

The site of new power poles should not be interpreted as a decision to build back the way it was, in many cases, it is a temporary restoration of power to homes not lost in the fire.

In Altadena, SoCal Edison has already begun work that will eventually put 40 miles of power underground. And in the Palisades, LADWP briefly addressed their plans in early March.

"We have 4,000 feet of underground already designed, starting on Sunset and from the substation that is on Sunset Boulevard, and the goal is to have all of Palisades with new underground infrastructure," Quinones said.

Eyewitness News visited one of three SCE projects currently underway in Altadena. An additional 40 to 60 miles is under assessment. It is an incredible financial commitment in that, before the fires, each mile would cost between $3 and $5 million dollars.

"A lot of the cost for underground is the civil work for digging and paving after it's done, so with all the work that's ongoing, the county has to pave it for example... if they can do some of that work that reduces how much it costs us," said Shinjini Menon, SCE's Senior Vice President of System Planning & Engineering.

"With all the trucks that are up there right now that are doing the debris removal, we know we're gonna have to repave, so why not get it all done... think like private sector and actually be smart and how we are spending taxpayer dollars... This is an opportunity, you know, hopefully only gonna come once, because I don't think anyone wants to relive what's going on now," Barger said.

That type of collaboration has electrified the speed of the work underway. The state helped when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order exempting undergrounding from the California Environmental Quality Act Review. Near-empty neighborhoods and road closures allow for building underground vaults and transmission boxes in weeks instead of months.

"We're moving as much faster than we could do things in the past... people are much more collaborative and working with us so that's helping quite a bit so that we can contract the timelines, but it's definitely going to take at least a couple of years, probably longer, to complete all of this," Menon said.

For Edison customers, there is already a pending general rate case that if approved, will include money that can be used for moving power underground. LADWP is hoping to find funding to defray costs, but at some point, customers will feel the impact of this investment.

"Yeah, there will definitely be an impact of the rates but we don't know what that is yet," Quinones said.

Pasadena Water and Power also had homes lost in the Eaton Fire, but in a commitment that dates to the 1960s, two-thirds of the city already has underground power, and they have funding in their budget to move more underground if necessary.

"If we're helping them rebuild, we do it in a way that's resilient... because now we're in an element of climate change and a lot of other climate-related disasters. You know they're just gonna keep happening and we wanna make sure that we stay ahead of that," said Jennifer Guess Mayo, Assistant General Manager of External Affairs Pasadena Water and Power. "So that planning that you mentioned? Those discussions will happen."

"It's a benefit all around. It's easier for the customers. It's definitely easier for us to maintain it. We don't have to bother them when we have to go inspected to tree trimming or other things," Menon said.

Another opportunity presented in Altadena -- roughly 700 homes have septic tanks and are not connected to the sewer system. Supervisor Barger wants the county to help provide that connection for the residents who want it done.