Under-surface utilities far from new

The first telegraphic undersea cable, completed in 1858, allowed President James Buchanan and Queen Victoria to “exchange niceties” over the 2,200-mile stretch between North America and Europe. The feat was thought to have been insurmountable.

Since that milestone technological achievement, several thousand miles of undersea power and fiber optic cables now network multiple countries and continents around the world.

On land, underground power transmission and distribution cables are making inroads into densely populated areas. More and more urban areas in the U.S. and worldwide have installed or are planning to bury such cables to improve their city’s view shed and provide safety to residents that overhead lines cannot deliver.

But the conversion to underground power in rural areas comes at a price that is perceived as untenable compared to the advantages this technology can provide, as much as 10 times more expensive than stringing overhead lines.

However, costs are site-specific. They are determined by restrictions on right-of-way accesses, a variety installation obstacles and public concerns, to name a few. But they are not insurmountable.

With climate change, how electric power is transmitted and distributed in all areas subject to adverse weather must now be considered.

Hurricane Ida laid bare the soul of this country with scenes of devastation, downed power lines and heart-wrenching accounts of the storm’s victims, many of whom were left homeless in the sweltering heat with no electricity or means to provide for their families. It will take weeks, maybe months, to get all the lights on again.

It comes down to this question. Does it make sense to repair 19th century technology repeatedly at considerable expense to ratepayers in a century of changing climate or invest in subterranean technology that will be designed — possibly funded by the president’s infrastructure plan — to abate the ravages of yet more severe storms that lay ahead?

It should no longer be a concern over costs; it is now a matter of sustaining life and the continued pursuit of one’s American dream.

Ron Kurtz Monroe