GOING UNDERGROUND: Particle Accelerators to Power Systems

From the Americas to Africa to the Middle East to Europe to Asia and Australia undergrounding can be found in select cities with means-wealthy residents and big companies. Yet, debate between overhead v underground power lines is ongoing.

Public-Private companies have been slow to revamp ground antiquated power and telecommunications infrastructure in sectors susceptible to rising dangerous climate changes.

Summer has come. Let’s look at California.  

Anaheim is best known for the California Adventure in Disneyland. Did you know Anaheim Public Utilities has Eight Active Underground Conversion Projects.

Webpage points out “Underground Conversion Program improves reliability of the electric grid, while also enhancing the overall visibility along the City’s major roadways by removing overhead power, phone and cable TV lines.” Who is paying?  “Funding for Anaheim’s underground facilities is provided through a 4–percent surcharge on electric bills, while phone and cable TV companies pay for undergrounding their facilities.”

Here’s a highlight of two projects:

1. Underground Conversion – Beach Blvd.

The undergrounding is currently being coordinated with Caltrans, Southern California Edison (SCE) and affected telecommunication companies. Construction is tentatively planned to start Winter 2021 for completion in 2023.

2. Undergrounding within Wildfire Threat Zones

Under the current Anaheim Public Utilities Wildfire Mitigation Plan, there are seven remaining segments of overhead lines that are located within/adjacent to the various Fire Threat Zones.

Let’s consider those involved. “Anaheim Public Utilities collaborated with Anaheim Fire & Rescue to apply for FEMA grant funding to help offset the project’s cost and accelerate the undergrounding of these lines.  Recently, the grant was approved for Anaheim to start the design and engineering phase for the undergrounding of these segments.” 

Additionally, “this project will help reduce wildfire risks associated with overhead electrical lines and improve vehicle accessibility for fire and utility trucks. The undergrounding is currently being coordinated with the affected telecommunication companies for joint trenching opportunities.”

Northern California may not have the same fun rides of the land of Disney but it does have sweet grapes or what some may call the “Grapes of Wrath.”

The San Francisco Gate highlights Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E). Utility company states in a May press release, “Engineering an underground system requires designing the system around existing water, natural gas and drainage systems, as well as planning for future road widening and the possibility of a sewer system for Paradise.”

Cost is pretty steep for this project. No pun intended. More importantly, it gives insight as to undergrounding in general. But not all companies are able or willing to go underground.

Big Talkers: Yankee and Aussie

Fire it up boys. Let’s start with the Yank.

Founded as the Lowell Wrench Company, now the Lowell Corporation, it is a manufacturing company based in West Boylston, Massachusetts with “designed tools for industrial, utility and military applications.” Company website put forth an October 18, 2019 article “Why Don’t We Use More Underground Power Lines?”

Lowell notes “Burying power lines, also called undergrounding, is expensive, requires the involvement of many stakeholders…” City of Anaheim may agree, and still they’ve managed to get it done.

To be fair, Lowell points to the pros and cons. Company concludes, “Above-ground carries the issues of having to deal with natural disasters. Underground power lines seem attainable, but several problems come with it. The cost, technical, and environmental issues are just not worth it.” But he adds, “Although every city or town must make the decision that is right for its residents.”

Anaheim collaborating with Southern California Edison (SCE) made their choice. What about you Northern California and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E)?

Speaking of Electric, let’s see what the Aussie has to say? According to the company website, Everest Electrical Services are Northern Beaches based electrical contractors servicing Warringah, Crows Nest, Seaforth, Forestville, Pittwater shires and beyond.

In a September 22, 2020 Australian article “Can You Run Power to your House Underground?” by the company, in Church Point, Northern Beaches, Sydney. The paper made an interesting point. “Traditionally, it has been much cheaper to use overhead, especially as pole installation costs could often be shared with telecommunications utilities.”

In fact, the company’s added reasons readily confirm my main point:

→ ABOVE GROUND = EASIER TO MAINTAIN AND CHEAPER LABOR

As the company notes why overhead is cheaper, “A few other reasons are:

• It’s easier for an electrician to locate and fix a problem.
• It can be complicated to run cable within the rules if you are not ‘lucky’ enough to have a network pole right outside your house, especially as easements generally cross driveways and footpaths.
• Maintenance is easier and cheaper.

Naturally utility, manufacturing and electrical companies paint the undergrounding argument from a “high cost” perspective. Or, “you get what you pay for.”  So save money and pay us.

Lowell concludes with, “No system is perfect when it comes to mother nature.” Lowell, it is not about perfection or nature. What if we “threw a wrench in the works” of a wrench company as the former Lowell Wrench Company? Appearing to “hedge its bets” and offer its services, the company ELECTRICAL notes, “However, if you routinely have problems with the lines, it can be worth the cost of switching over.”

Gentlemen, in the new age of cyberspace, above or underground, perfection and the nature of mother are the least of your worries.

Speaking of “big talkers,” the Energy Secretary comes to mind. Madame Secretary did offer a “novel” suggestion as to the problem of incentivizing people to conserve energy: “smart buildings.” Three suggestions:

1. Building structures apply to the public sector-employers. With more people working from home and rise in inflation, who will be “flipping the bill”, you Madame?

2. Incentivize customers financially. Recall “PG&E argued the bonuses would help incentivize executives to meet safety goals in the wake of multiple wildfires.”

3. How about “smart underground systems.”

Undergrounding: Breaking It Down

Breaking down this engineering feat we not only discover its complexity but how undergrounding infrastructure is built on the interdependence of multilateral systems.

Principally, “engineering” or in the case of undergrounding, civil engineers are key and they’re not cheap. Designing system blueprints is a highly involved art and technical trade. Be it water, power or drainage. Unforeseen and unavoidable conditions brought on by a city planning modifications, building codes, or environmental factors are constant.

Maintenance alone can be challenging. Recall Lowell’s warning, “Repairing underground systems is often more expensive than repairing above ground. Utility workers face two obstacles, the identification of the fault, and getting access to the lines.”  Expense is not the issue. Hiring “utility workers” with little to no engineering background or training is problematic.

Undergrounding plans start to take action in the digging. Crude labor may be acceptable for utility projects as assembling poles for overhead power lines. But, when climbing to connect the pole lines, licensed and trained electricians are necessary as conditions  can go from complicated to dangerous.

For these reasons I disagree with Lowell’s view that in underground systems repairs “it’s challenging to perform the procedure during cold weather or flooding after a hurricane. This is more troublesome than climbing a pole and much of a challenge throughout the country during the winter.”

Lowell, as you note on your website, these are “tough jobs.”  But they’re not getting easier as  few are equipped with the grit to move past the blood and tears enduring a lifetime of pain.

Utility workers will tell you in harsh weather, they’ll take challenging procedures over the danger of climbing. For them, danger starts the moment they step into or out of their vehicle. As their mind focuses on their task, utility workers need to be in tune with and zone out the distraction of the elements.

Recall Lowell’s assertion, “Operators have to figure out where the problem occurred, without being able to see it. Sensor technology can help you narrow the location down, but then you’ll need to start the digging process.” Engineers are trained and armed with the latest equipment and technological tools preparing them for the building and reparations of underground systems.

TUNNELS to Accelerators to TOWERS

European countries managed to design, build and maintain the underground 100 metres 27 km circumference circular Large Hadron Collider tunnel. CERN continues to operate this infrastructure after more than half a century as a particle accelerator. Lab popularity has caught the eye of the Middle East recently as Israel, Turkey, and Pakistan have joined.

U.S. has their lab in the sky. Australia, what about you? Right, more important to prepare for the next “Black Summer.”

Disasters may not be foreseen, but we know they’ll come. Pandemics as some fires appear to be easily anticipated. Tell me where you live and I’ll tell you if you’ll get burned, literally and figuratively.

Seriously consider how at the end of 2019, the U.S. speedily put forth an unprecedented strong bipartisan push for the implementation of communication towers. Amongst the arguments was the growing need for online learning and telehealth, especially in rural areas and neighborhoods with large numbers of minorities. Then pandemic hits. Nice timing U.S.

Technology has brought “progress” since fire was discovered. Discovery and harnessing of the atom facilitated nuclear power. Economies of scale were grown from small startups. Yet, advances in medicine cannot save millions around the world from an upstart organism as dynamic and powerful as a small cinder spreading literally like wildfire.

Basically, multilateral systems like that of humans require long term 24/7 oversight by professionals. But unlike cheap labor, professionals are in very short supply. German engineering is the best. And like in any sellers’ market, they don’t come cheap.

Of course, one could dwell in the underworld of traffickers. Or resort to outsourcing through legal channels. India, are your ears ringing?

SAVE LIVES→UNDERGROUNDING ↔ PROFESSIONALS