EDISON DID IT RIGHT: PUT THE LINES OUT OF SIGHT
Power lines
Date published: 12/14/2008
WARRENTON --In 1882, when Thomas Edison introduced the electric light to New York City, the lines that connected his Pearl Street Station to customers were buried underground. As the electric power industry spread across the country, the electric lines came up from under the ground and climbed to the top of wooden poles and steel lattice towers. These towers, now up to 16 stories tall, crisscross the landscape and bring controversy to communities across the nation.
Recently, many smaller lines from substations to neighborhoods have returned underground, and it is now common for most new homes to be served by underground utilities. It is time that we expand the use of undergrounding to the higher voltages.
Across the country utilities are commonly burying line up to 230 kV. In Virginia, Dominion has existing 230-kV lines underground in areas around Arlington and Newport News, and it is involved in pilot programs to bury additional lines in Loudoun and Stafford counties. These underground facilities would replace 12-story-tall tower structures in sensitive areas. The technology available today can provide safe and reliable power delivered underground.
Compared with overhead lines these underground lines are less prone to weather-related problems, less prone to accidental or intentional human-created problems, and less likely to dominate the surrounding landscape. Ice storms alone can bring down the most carefully engineered lines, leading to power outages lasting for days or even weeks. Airplanes and automobiles can accidentally strike towers, and bring them crashing to the ground. Hurricane Isabel knocked out electricity for weeks in 2003.
In addition to being prone to failure, overhead transmission lines can have an immediate and long-lasting impact on property values within view of the line. In 2006, Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee reported that overhead transmission lines can reduce property values by as much as 15 percent. While some compensation is granted to a person whose land is acquired for the right of way, there is no compensation for nearby landowners or the broader community.
Robert Marmet works with the Piedmont Environmental Council on energy issues.
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Date published: 12/14/2008
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