Tropical Depression 2

[mediumone]

Which would require easements/agreements for each parcel. An insurmountable task.

In our older neighborhood, (1943), the poles are in our back yards. Easements were granted by the developer at the inception.

 

[greeniguana]

In our older neighborhood, (1943), the poles are in our back yards. Easements were granted by the developer at the inception.

Overhead and underground easements aren't interchangeable. I do permitting for transportation and energy sectors.

 

[mediumone]

Overhead and underground easements aren't interchangeable. I do permitting for transportation and energy sectors.

If I said that they were interchangeable, I apologize.

 

[nodakdive]

Overhead and underground easements aren't interchangeable. I do permitting for transportation and energy sectors.

Actually, it depends on how the easement is written. They can be broad. Also, each State can have differing laws regarding easements and ROWs. I don't know Texas law.

 

[greeniguana]

Actually, it depends on how the easement is written. They can be broad. Also, each State can have differing laws regarding easements and ROWs. I don't know Texas law.

Of course. And, anything is possible, I suppose. But I've been doing this more than 20 years, and never been that lucky. The state usually isn't involved in the language of the easements, it's just between the UAO and property owner. I could write book about potential easement fatal flaws, but my only point is that "just put it all underground" is way more complex to do than to say.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Of course. And, anything is possible, I suppose. But I've been doing this more than 20 years, and never been that lucky. The state usually isn't involved in the language of the easements, it's just between the UAO and property owner. I could write book about potential easement fatal flaws, but my only point is that "just put it all underground" is way more complex to do than to say.

Not to mention the big $$$ installing the infrastructure underground (pad mounted sectionalizers, switches, transformers, and the MV cable, locating, boring.....) and downtime cutting over to a new system. The system will need to be designed and that can take months depending on size of system. All the new equipment needs to be ordered and manufactured. It is not something you can cowboy install.
There is a reason why it is on poles. It is much cheaper and quicker to install.
From a storm ost damage is power poles and downed wire transformers should survive.

 

[nodakdive]

Of course. And, anything is possible, I suppose. But I've been doing this more than 20 years, and never been that lucky. The state usually isn't involved in the language of the easements, it's just between the UAO and property owner. I could write book about potential easement fatal flaws, but my only point is that "just put it all underground" is way more complex to do than to say.

I agree whole heartedly that it would be an enormous, complex project.

Though the State may not be directly involved in the language of a specific easement, the language on the easement must follow State laws or risk contest, which could be hard to win for the owner of the easement containing language outside what the law prescribes.

The language, or language akin to, "...to place, repair, maintain...on or under the described lands, for the purpose of an electric transmission line or distribution system..." is practically boiler plate where I live. In the 19+ years I've been running title, much of it patent to present, a good bit of it specifically for pipeline easement purposes but most of it focused on oil and gas, I've seen many hundreds of thousands of acres of title, and electric easements covering above or below ground installation is very common.

This, imho, is such an enormous project it's probably, hopefully being addressed organically, at the least, such that as the old is destroyed, the new and improved takes it's place. Sometimes, that can be the best way to tackle a project of this size.

 

[greeniguana]

I agree whole heartedly that it would be an enormous, complex project.

Though the State may not be directly involved in the language of a specific easement, the language on the easement must follow State laws or risk contest, which could be hard to win for the owner of the easement containing language outside what the law prescribes.

The language, or language akin to, "...to place, repair, maintain...on or under the described lands, for the purpose of an electric transmission line or distribution system..." is practically boiler plate where I live. In the 19+ years I've been running title, much of it patent to present, a good bit of it specifically for pipeline easement purposes but most of it focused on oil and gas, I've seen many hundreds of thousands of acres of title, and electric easements covering above or below ground installation is very common.

This, imho, is such an enormous project it's probably, hopefully being addressed organically, at the least, such that as the old is destroyed, the new and improved takes it's place. Sometimes, that can be the best way to tackle a project of this size.

For a 30 mile gas pipeline in a South Louisiana swamp, perhaps. But within a transportation ROW or a residential development you're not going to get a "multiple choice" easement.

 

[ggunn]

So I am pretty sure that everyone can agree that UG infrastructure is much better than OH for utility resilience in storms but that converting old Houston residential neighborhoods from OH to UG would be, at the very least, hideously expensive, extremely difficult, and very time consuming.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I live in an older neighborhood in S. Florida and got UG lines about 4 years ago. I also have a big green transformer box in my yard. FPL, our electric provider, had to have an OK from every single homeowner before proceeding. They dug under the sidewalk, and invited other utilities to join in, but they declined so we still have poles in the back yard. Otherwise they would have removed the poles too!
Our neighborhood was one of the first in the area. We still get power outages, but not very often, and not for very long. It has not been hurricane tested yet.