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ASK THE RGJ
Reno Gazette Journal
• Question: Why isn’t a new NV Energy power line in Verdi being buried, given how windy it can get and the chance to spark fires?
• Response: Burying a power line is about five times more expensive than installing one above ground. Also, transmission lines now are built with precautions to reduce fire risk such as metal poles and an automated system that detects faults and can cut power to the line so it doesn’t spark.
Original question on NV Energy’s Verdi power line
Verdi resident Thomas Silewicz wrote to the city of Reno — and CC'd me — saying he was concerned about a large overhead NV Energy power line planned from Cold Springs to Verdi.
“Given the high fire danger in this area from long periods of heat and regular high winds, why is NVE not planning to take (it) underground?” he wrote.
“There are hundreds of homes in the hills around Verdi and hundreds more scheduled to be built. I have seen firsthand the devastation wind-powerline-fires can cause; in Sonoma County California thousands of homes were lost because of this.”
To learn why this power line is not being buried, I contacted Meghin Delaney at NV Energy. Below is a lightly edited version of our correspondence by email and text.
Why is the Verdi power line being installed above ground?
It may be useful to provide some additional information up front about the project.
NV Energy has been pursuing this transmission line for more than a decade and has participated in permitting processes with state and federal agencies. As you may know, transmission lines carry high-voltage electricity over long distances and distribution lines carry lower voltage electricity over shorter distances.
To an average person, they tend to all look like power lines, but they’re very different.
Undergrounding a transmission line is significantly different than undergrounding a distribution line and is significantly more expensive than undergrounding a distribution line.
Transmission lines are planned and designed to reduce the risk of fire.
Undergrounding is a selective tool that NV Energy uses in areas of highest risk. In this case, we’re able to install the transmission line with specific precautions already in place to help reduce the risk of fire.
The new style of construction for transmission lines, with metal poles and new hardware, helps reduce the wildfire risk, even when constructing the line overhead.
How much more does it cost to bury a power line?
The cost can be upwards of five times more expensive, depending on a number of factors and conditions. The cost of new lines is passed along to customers, and costs passed along to customers are regulated through the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.
Why is the Verdi power line being installed, and who will it serve?
This is a new transmission line, which will be built to meet federal reliability standards. The new transmission line helps us move more power reliably throughout the transmission system in Northwest Reno.
The transmission line will serve residents of Northwest Reno.
When will the Verdi power line be completed?
The NV Energy team is planning to go to construction in May 2024 and aims to be completed by December. Those dates depend on final permits and Mother Nature.
What is NV Energy doing to mitigate fire danger from high winds?
Our Power Safe NV program — also sometimes referred to as the Natural Disaster Protection Plan — works across NV Energy’s service territory to help mitigate the risks posed by fires and other natural disasters.
Vegetation management is one of the most visible elements, but we’re also inspecting poles, installing wildfire alert cameras, trimming and removing hazard trees and much more.
Again, this new transmission line is also designed to help mitigate the risk of fire. The steel structures are robust and have communication-aided protection on the line — which means if there’s a fault somewhere on the line, the automated system can deenergize the line so it doesn’t spark.
There are other existing lines in that area (of Verdi) as well. Those lines and poles are patrolled every year and get a detailed inspection every five years — and a few are up for replacement next year.
Why doesn’t NV Energy bury all power lines anywhere near trees in dry places?
As mentioned, undergrounding is one tool in the toolbox for helping mitigate wildfire risk, and we are using undergrounding as a tool in some of the most extreme-risk areas, particularly in Northern Nevada. The Power Safe NV program is a holistic plan that aims to reduce risk from a number of natural disasters. We take protecting our community and our infrastructure seriously.
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.