Underground Power Lines Sought by District Council

Councilwoman Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Councilman Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) both put forth legislation Tuesday that would push PEPCO to bury power lines underground to help prevent widespread outages caused by tree branches.

Georgetown proper has almost all of its power lines below ground, but nearby neighborhoods like Glover Park and the Palisades are less lucky and have far more frequent power outages.

During the , a for a brief period of time, but much of Glover Park was without power for days.

Cheh's proposal would form a commission that would explore where exactly underground wiring would be possible. The installation, which has been estimated to cost upwards of $5 billion, would potentiall be paid for "through a 4 percent assessment on residents’ electricity bills," The Washington Post reports.

Evans' plan would also involve a working group. He sets a deadline of Dec. 31 for PEPCO to determine the feasability of burying all power lines within the District and how to finance the project, according to a press release from his office.

“As we continue to see with each new and more powerful storm, the undergrounding of our power lines is an essential part of planning for the future of our city,” Evans said in a prepared statement.