Regulators to Vote on PG&E Undergrounding Cut
A proposed California Public Utilities Commission decision could reduce PG&E's planned powerline undergrounding from 5,000 miles to as few as 1,100 miles.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Utilities
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Will the CPUC cut PG&E's powerline undergrounding plan below 5,000 miles by Nov. 19?
The California Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on Nov. 19 on a proposed decision that would scale back PG&E's plan to bury power lines. The proposal would prioritize high fire-risk areas and require comparing undergrounding with alternative protective measures.
Why it matters
The decision affects how California utilities reduce wildfire risk from powerlines under the approval process created by Senate Bill 884 in 2022. Undergrounding is described by PG&E as the most cost-effective long-term wildfire safeguard despite high upfront costs.
PG&E's plan calls for roughly $16 billion to bury 5,000 miles of lines, while the proposed decision could cut that to 1,100 miles. The stub does not confirm the commission's final vote outcome.
The players
California Public Utilities Commission
The state regulatory body that oversees privately owned utilities in California and is weighing the proposed decision on undergrounding.
PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the major investor-owned utility serving northern and central California, which proposed the 5,000-mile undergrounding plan.
The details
The commission is weighing new rules for utilities seeking to underground powerlines, with the item to be added to its agenda 10 days before the scheduled vote. The proposed decision would prioritize high fire-risk areas and require utilities to compare undergrounding against options such as protective coverings for overhead lines.
Timeline
2022: State lawmakers passed Senate Bill 884, creating the undergrounding approval process.
Nov. 19: The California Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposed decision.
Over the next decade: PG&E plans to underground 5,000 miles of power lines.
Market Landscape
The proposal applies the approval process established by Senate Bill 884 in 2022 to utility wildfire mitigation plans. It would narrow undergrounding toward high fire-risk areas and weigh it against alternative protections for overhead lines.
The PG&E plan would cost the average customer about $9 more per month, according to the filings described. How much of that cost ultimately reaches customers depends on the commission's final decision.
The takeaway
Utilities face a trade-off between the high upfront cost of burying lines and the long-term reduction in wildfire risk. Customers in high-risk areas may see the most direct effect of how regulators settle that balance.
What happens next
The California Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposed decision on Nov. 19.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Utilities on the business desk.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
Live Poll
Will the CPUC cut PG&E's powerline undergrounding plan below 5,000 miles by Nov. 19?
