Proposed 5,000-mile plan, spanning more than 30 counties, would reduce wildfire ignition risk by 98% and future outages by 90% on lines moved underground
OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has filed a proposed 10-Year Electrical Undergrounding Plan (EUP) with the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety), outlining a long-term, risk-based strategy to improve safety and reliability in high wildfire-risk areas across Northern and Central California that delivers long-term benefits valued at $117 billion.
The proposed plan would place approximately 5,000 miles of electric distribution lines underground from 2028 to 2037 in locations where undergrounding is forecasted to provide the greatest reduction in wildfire risk. In these areas, undergrounding powerlines can reduce ignition risk by nearly 98% and improve reliability with 90% fewer outages.
PG&E estimates that completing 5,000 miles of undergrounding will also save customers approximately $6 billion in vegetation management, operations and maintenance costs over the life of these assets. The plan includes work in more than 30 Northern and Central California counties.
"Placing powerlines underground provides the most effective way to reduce wildfire risk and enhance reliability for customers within High Fire-Threat Districts," said Peter Kenny, PG&E Chief Delivery Officer and Electric Transmission and Distribution Senior Vice President. "A 10-year plan allows us to develop and execute projects with increased efficiency, which translates into cost savings for customers, all while delivering enhanced safety and reliability to the hometowns we are privileged to serve."
Benefits for Customers
The proposed 10-year plan is designed to deliver lasting benefits, including:
- Improved safety: Undergrounding permanently reduces wildfire risk by 98% on lines moved underground.
- Fewer outages: Customers served by underground lines experience enhanced reliability, resulting in approximately 90% fewer outages.
- Protection for critical facilities: Undergrounding can also improve reliability for critical facilities such as hospitals, fire stations, police stations and other essential community services.
- Lower long-term costs: PG&E estimates that completing 5,000 miles of undergrounding will allow the Company to avoid approximately $6 billion in vegetation management, operations and maintenance costs over the life of these assets.
- Unlocked investments: PG&E will continue to develop and test new technology and processes that have already reduced the undergrounding cost per mile by approximately 25%.
- Better planning and coordination: A 10-year roadmap provides greater certainty and coordination with customers, local agencies, suppliers, vendors and stakeholders.
Focused on Affordability and Disciplined Investment
PG&E estimates the plan will deliver long-term benefits valued at $117 billion by helping prevent wildfires and reduce outages, which is more than 10 times the value of the proposed investment, while avoiding approximately $6 billion in future vegetation management, operations and maintenance costs over the lifespan of the underground assets.
Over the last few years, PG&E has reduced its undergrounding cost per mile by approximately 25%. The company expects a 10-year plan to enable continued improvements in planning, construction practices and supply chain coordination to help further improve efficiency and reduce costs over time.
The proposal will be reviewed by Energy Safety, which will evaluate whether the plan substantially increases reliability and substantially reduces wildfire risk. If the plan is approved, PG&E will submit the plan and an application to the California Public Utilities Commission requesting conditional approval of the plan's costs.
Data and Technology Puts the Right Solution in the Right Place
A key feature of the plan is PG&E's use of advanced data analytics and risk modeling to forecast where undergrounding will provide the greatest benefits for customers and communities.
The company's risk-based approach considers wildfire likelihood and consequence, system reliability, customer impacts, project costs and benefits, and how undergrounding compares with other wildfire mitigations.
When undergrounding is not the best fit for a given location, PG&E may deploy other system upgrade measures, including installing strengthened poles, covered powerlines and other overhead system upgrades. This approach helps direct investments toward the solutions that provide the greatest overall value to customers while maintaining a strong focus on safety and reliability.
Building on Proven Progress
By the end of 2027, PG&E plans to have completed more than 1,900 miles of undergrounding and approximately 2,000 miles of overhead system upgrades in high wildfire-risk areas, since the programs started. Combined with the proposed 10-year EUP mileage and additional overhead system upgrade work, PG&E expects to underground or upgrade more than 11,000 miles of powerlines in high wildfire-risk areas by the end of 2037, subject to regulatory approval.
"Our customers deserve safer, more reliable energy service at the lowest possible cost," said Matt Pender, Undergrounding & System Hardening Vice President. "This plan continues our progress in delivering exactly that, making long-term investments that reduce wildfire risk, improve reliability and create savings over time."
The complete filing, including a forecasted county workplan list, is available at pge.com/eup.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across Northern and Central California.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company
