Bury the power lines

[mugofbeer]

Additional cost or not, between ice storms, bad Tstorms and tornadoes, no new overhead lines should be allowed when possible. I understand its cheaper at first but the cost of replacing them over the years coupled with the cost to people's lives when the power is out - now what, 3 weeks? That can damage property, food, medicine, having to move to friends and relatives houses or hotels.

Other than high tension lines, there are few overhead lines in my part of Denver and my power has only flickered in 20 years (knock on wood).

[gopokes88]

Thank god we now have lawmakers starting to want to have discussions about burying power lines and the typical response I’ve received from too many people on the “iTS ToO eXpEnSivE” bandwagon.

It will take money but it doesn’t have to be all done at once. The are many benefits to having underground power lines like beautification for one with the real factor not having to worry about outages as much. They can still happen but won’t be as big of an issue.

Hopefully we get a real plan and this isn’t just talk.

https://kfor.com/news/two-state-lawm...n-in-oklahoma/

It is too expensive. Moan and cry all you want.

This would be like project 180 on steroids both from a complexity and cost standpoint. It would take a decade and cost billions.

For new construction it’s feasible, but to go back into existing built out neighborhoods and roads it’s not. Sewers, gas lines, etc.
Just planning a route would take a year.

[Canoe]

It is too expensive. Moan and cry all you want.

This would be like project 180 on steroids both from a complexity and cost standpoint. It would take a decade and cost billions.

For new construction it’s feasible, but to go back into existing built out neighborhoods and roads it’s not. Sewers, gas lines, etc.
Just planning a route would take a year.

And at the end we would have a 1st world electrical grid. The money spent would stay local to OKC. Usually I am on your side, but I think you have this one wrong.

[FighttheGoodFight]

It’s probably by cheaper just to give all homeowners and backup home generator.

[shawnw]

Or solar

[SEMIweather]

Yeah, it's not feasible, and even if it was it probably wouldn't happen anyway. This city still doesn't even have dedicated right turn lanes at most major intersections lol, there's no way something as complex as burying an entire grid is ever going to happen.

[Plutonic Panda]

The thing is we don’t have to bury the entire grid at once.

[mugofbeer]

It’s probably by cheaper just to give all homeowners and backup home generator.

Not a bad thought. Maybe discounts on Tesla-type home battery systems

[gopokes88]

And at the end we would have a 1st world electrical grid. The money spent would stay local to OKC. Usually I am on your side, but I think you have this one wrong.

We already do have a 1st world grid. OGE has been a leader in smart grids and still maintains some of the lowest rates in the country.

The problem is OKC has some of the most chaotic weather in the entire world.

[OKCretro]

We already do have a 1st world grid. OGE has been a leader in smart grids and still maintains some of the lowest rates in the country.

The problem is OKC has some of the most chaotic weather in the entire world.

I think OG&E should hire you for their PR department if you already don't work there.

Another deadline missed, another excuse given. Website indicates still over 21000 households without power all most 2 weeks after the ice storm.

[Bill Robertson]

I think OG&E should hire you for their PR department if you already don't work there.

Another deadline missed, another excuse given. Website indicates still over 21000 households without power all most 2 weeks after the ice storm.

Yes. After the second or first worst ice storm Oklahoma has ever had. Does everyone have supplies and such stored up for once in a lifetime emergencies. I seriously doubt it.

[mugofbeer]

Curious if other states sent crews to help?

[Bill Robertson]

Curious if other states sent crews to help?

Yes. Lots of other places. I think I heard about six states sending crews.

[mugofbeer]

That's good to hear. I hadn't heard otherwise.

[oklip955]

I saw Nebraska Public power auth. trucks in the Deer Creek area this past week.

[Teo9969]

I had 2 different crews working in backyard today. One group from Missouri another from Tennessee.

The crew from Tennessee said it took them 14 hours to get here because they had to drive a truck here at 55 MPH - the thin tops out at 64MPH. I asked him if they weren't planning to just leave it here

[Bill Robertson]

I had 2 different crews working in backyard today. One group from Missouri another from Tennessee.

The crew from Tennessee said it took them 14 hours to get here because they had to drive a truck here at 55 MPH - the thin tops out at 64MPH. I asked him if they weren't planning to just leave it here

I could be wrong but I think the Missouri company is Central Power. White trucks with red graphics. They've been staging in the parking lot of the church between Hideaway and lake Hefner. They sent a lot of trucks.

[shawnw]

Somebody do a poll... which will come first, OG&E buried power lines or high speed rail from OKC to DFW (and by extension Houston)

[Pete]

It’s probably by cheaper just to give all homeowners and backup home generator.

And cheaper for a homeowner to buy a generator than to pay for the huge increase in bills caused by trying to bury the lines. You can buy a good one for not much more than $600.


I live near Penn Square and my street for some strange reason has buried lines while no one around me does. Still, our power went out. Almost all the lines would have to be buried before there was a large benefit to the community.

[sooner88]

And cheaper for a homeowner to buy a generator than to pay for the huge increase in bills caused by trying to bury the lines. You can buy a good one for not much more than $600.


I live near Penn Square and my street for some strange reason has buried lines while no one around me does. Still, our power went out. Almost all the lines would have to be buried before there was a large benefit to the community.

One of my friends lives in a new development up in Edmond with all buried lines, but still was without power for a week plus as the power to the neighborhood was knocked out. While buried lines city-wide would be ideal, there is way to justify the expense when there are much better alternatives.

[catch22]

not everyone has the benefit (ability) to purchase and store a generator, especially those who live in apartments.

[GoGators]

I think there is a happy median somewhere in between. Maybe burying the distribution lines to decrease he amount of possible weather damage but keeping all transmission lines above ground to save on the cost. This would narrow the focus of repair when an outage occurs and would greatly decrease the amount of time most would be out of power.

Even if that wasn't feasible, simply going in and only burying the service lines to individual structures off of the distribution lines would have slashed the outage time on this storm. The line crews were overwhelmed with hopping backyard fences in every residential neighborhood dealing with downed overheard service lines.

It wouldn't necessarily have to be an all or nothing approach. I would have to think that burying some lines could greatly reduce the time of an outage for everyone. I could be way off on this as I am definitely not an expert on the subject it just makes sense in my layman mind.

[Bill Robertson]

I think there is a happy median somewhere in between. Maybe burying the distribution lines to decrease he amount of possible weather damage but keeping all transmission lines above ground to save on the cost. This would narrow the focus of repair when an outage occurs and would greatly decrease the amount of time most would be out of power.

Even if that wasn't feasible, simply going in and only burying the service lines to individual structures off of the distribution lines would have slashed the outage time on this storm. The line crews were overwhelmed with hopping backyard fences in every residential neighborhood dealing with downed overheard service lines.

It wouldn't necessarily have to be an all or nothing approach. I would have to think that burying some lines could greatly reduce the time of an outage for everyone. I could be way off on this as I am definitely not an expert on the subject it just makes sense in my layman mind.

The smaller individuals structure lines might be the biggest projects. Maybe ten years ago OG&E were through our old neighborhood just replacing some overhead poles. All the fences, yards, etc. were torn up for weeks and it was months before everything really got back to normal again. Yards get cramped really quick when heavy equipment is involved.

[Bits_Of_Real_Panther]

Won't OGE just submit a rate increase to the Corp commission to recoup all the expenses related to damaged equipment and extra labor from out of state crews? Or does a state of emergency mean the FedGov is covering the bill?

I'm forgetting how this works...

[Bill Robertson]

Won't OGE just submit a rate increase to the Corp commission to recoup all the expenses related to damaged equipment and extra labor from out of state crews? Or does a state of emergency mean the FedGov is covering the bill?

I'm forgetting how this works...

I think I remember hearing that FEMA was getting involved and I believe some of that funding would be to cover power restoration. Not positive but I think that's included when FEMA gets involved.