Protecting Our Communities: PG&E Undergrounding Power Lines in Magalia

By Paul Moreno

MAGALIA — PG&E has started work on undergrounding power lines in Magalia in Butte County. Work started along Drexel Drive near the Skyway.

“PG&E is committed to undergrounding all distribution lines in portions of Magalia and the Town of Paradise and is on track to complete this work in 2025,” said Joe Wilson, vice president of PG&E’s North Valley and Sierra Region. “We are working closely with the County of Butte to ensure our work is well coordinated.”

The first segment of undergrounding is along Drexel Drive, Cascade Drive and portions of Carver Drive and West Park Drive, including cul-de-sacs along these streets and portions of Ponderosa Way and Potomac Drive. 

Work on this segment will last through the summer. In May, PG&E will begin work on South Park Drive to Shaw Circle and Tulsa Court, and Andover Drive and the encompassing courts down to Lesley Court Undergrounding work in Magalia is expected to finish in 2025. 

PG&E’s contractors and subcontractors are trenching and boring to build the underground conduit to hold insulated electric cables.

Residents in the affected neighborhoods are being notified by letter and/or phone calls, which will include information on how residents can ask questions. PG&E will arrange for modification of customers’ electric service panels to accept power from underground.

There will be traffic controls in the areas of active construction to keep crews and motorists safe.

In 2019, PG&E announced it would rebuild distribution power lines underground in Paradise and portions of Magalia as it helps the communities recover from the Camp Fire.

To date, PG&E has built about 90 miles of underground power lines in Paradise. When complete, about 200 miles of power lines will be undergrounded in Paradise and portions of Magalia.

The company is also rebuilding 75 miles of power lines underground within the North Complex Fire footprint in Berry Creek and nearby communities in eastern Butte County.

Undergrounding and PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program

Undergrounding is part of PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program, which was launched in 2018 to help keep customers and communities safe in the face of growing wildfire risk across our state.

Undergrounding is just one of the system-hardening tools PG&E uses to reduce wildfire risks.

Depending on the needs of the community, PG&E reviews additional risk-reduction efforts including installing stronger poles, covered powerlines and sectionalizing devices; conducting enhanced vegetation management; adjusting powerline safety settings; and implementing Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

These and additional risk-reduction efforts are outlined in the company’s 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plan