Yes, the initial installation would be more expensive, but I have to believe that in the long run it would be less expensive. The chance of damage to the lines, and therefore the cost of maintenance, would be dramatically reduced, as would the inconvenience, discomfort, and danger for some, of being without power for an extended time.
The danger of fallen lines would eventually be eliminated. Incidents like the bus full of people on Kaiser Road with a hot line lying on it, as very recently occurred, would not be repeated.
As a community we should insist through ordinance or regulation that any aging lines requiring replacement, and any new lines to be run, must be installed underground.
This issue should be seriously considered by the governing and planning bodies of the local cites as well as the county. Perhaps we could accelerate the process with federal grants, it would be as good a use of any available “stimulus money” as I can think of, and we could use the new jobs this could create.
