LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Southern California Edison shared the latest on five undergrounding circuits and roughly 11 miles of related infrastructure with the Laguna Beach City Council this week. In that presentation on Tuesday, SCE representatives stated that the utility is in the design and/or permitting phase for the Rubin Circuit, Acres Circuit as well as the Artist, Agate and Kewamee circuits.
The work will take place on Coast Highway or in open space spanning several miles of the city, and construction would take place between 2027 and 2028, once all proper permits, easements and property access are secured.
Each project would ultimately include removing the SCE distribution lines and offer opportunities for line relocation.
Thomas Perez, the acting director of Laguna Beach Public Works and Utilities, stated that funding is a major issue for this costly project which will cost upwards of $40 to $50 million in investment in the city, said Councilman Bob Whalen.
"Wildfire risk mitigation, with all these electrical utilities going underground, is huge, and we wouldn't be able to do this level of work that Edison's doing on our own. It's just too expensive. It's too comprehensive."
Each project would take down the SCE distribution lines and also have communication lines relocated, according to Perez.
The removal of those lines would reduce wildfire risk by placing power lines underground in areas of high fire danger, particularly where the utility lines have not been replaced by covered conductors. "SCE targets areas for undergrounding its power lines based on several considerations," according to a company statement.
The targeted undergrounding effort will make the electrical system more reliable during extreme weather conditions by protecting it from high winds, vegetation and other hazards that could cause fires or power outages, according to Edison's website. It does, however, come at a hefty price.
"What it boils down to, I think, is the funding," Perez said.
The city of Laguna Beach has been supportive of utility undergrounding projects due to the safety, reliability and aesthetic benefits to the community, according to Public Works.
All projects are in different phases of implementation and have funding mechanisms such as resident-funded (assessment district), City-funded, and utility-funded (Rule 20A), according to City Treasurer Laura Parisi. For more information, follow lagunabeachcity.net
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