Underground lines currently make up about 15 percent of all Consumers Energy electric lines, mostly in subdivisions and high population areas.
In the next five years, the company wants to bury over 1,000 miles of line, says Vice President of Electric Distribution Chris Fultz.
“Why we’re excited about it is because of the results we’re seeing from the first pilot program, the first 40 miles, which is a 100% reduction in storm-related outages.”
West Michigan was part of that pilot program with lines buried in Allegan, Newaygo and Ottawa counties.
Fultz says Consumers looked at plans from similar-sized Midwest utility companies to understand which kind of lines are best to bury.
“Based on where the lines are located, frequency of outages, types of vegetation, frequency of maintenance and a number of other things, we can isolate which lines are the most impactful to move from overhead to underground.”
How to do it cost-effectively is a challenge as well, since historically installing overhead lines costs less.
“When you compare the cost of installation and the costs of maintaining vegetation, certain lines are actually on par with what it would be to upgrade overhead lines.”
Consumers Energy has requested permission from state regulatory agencies to bury an additional 50 miles of overhead power lines beginning in mid-2026.
