Malibu Fire Rebuilds May Have To Trench Their Powerlines
Written by 991KBU on February 15, 2019
City councilman Skylar Peak wants to require new houses in Malibu to have underground power wires … not overhead.
The councilman owns an electrical contracting company … he says eliminating overhead residential drops would reduce the risk of future fires and ensure public safety.
Fires that have destroyed parts of Malibu have been sometimes sparked by overhead transmission lines outside the city …
But one brushfire back in 2004 was sparked by a power delivery line here in Malibu.
City staff suggest that they are not sure if the proposal is even feasible on an individual private property basis.
And the city manager says estimating costs may be difficult.
Undergrounding the utilities would vary based on property location and the size and rating of the service(s).
This goes before the Malibu City Council one week from Monday.
