The extensive and lengthy power outages from Hurricane Ida have spurred talk of moving power lines below the surface and building an electrical grid system underground. Public Service Commission Chairman Doctor Craig Greene says the cost would be enormous.
“If we can just all do small stackable, micronuclear grids underground, probably wouldn’t have that much trouble, but that would probably cost 100-times what the cost is on a regular basis,” said Greene.
Greene says an underground power system would also not be the end of power outages.
“Can you imagine if we wend underground and in the next storm people still went out, oh my gosh people would say I thought this was the panacea,” said Greene.
Greene says he supports studying the feasibility of moving equipment underground that supplies homes and businesses, but it will take federal assistance because Louisiana utility customers already believe their rates are high.
“Just making prudent and wise decision with what direction the public is going to head in is going to be a challenge and if we can get some assistance from the federal government it frees up to have all options on the table,” said Greene.
Comments