Thousands of PG&E Customers Now Protected from Wildfires as 1,000 Miles of Powerlines are Energized and Underground

Rhea-AI Summary

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (NYSE:PCG) announced it has constructed and energized 1,000 miles of underground powerlines in high fire-risk areas as of Oct 3, 2025. PG&E says undergrounding, plus stronger poles and line removals, has permanently removed 8.4% of wildfire ignition risk system‑wide since 2023. Underground lines now serve customers in high‑risk areas across 27 counties. Cost per mile fell from $4.0M to $3.1M in 2025. PG&E expects 1,600 miles underground by end of 2026, targeting an 18% system risk reduction.

The release cites additional system hardening (1,400 miles strengthened poles, ~1,600 weather stations, 650 HD cameras) and a Tier 1 wildfire mitigation maturity ranking from Stanford Woods Institute.

Positive

• 1,000 miles of underground powerlines energized (Oct 3, 2025)
• System wildfire ignition risk down 8.4% since 2023
• Cost per mile decreased from $4.0M to $3.1M in 2025
• Targeting 1,600 miles underground by end of 2026 for 18% risk reduction
• Completed >1,400 miles of strengthened poles and covered lines
• Deployed ~1,600 weather stations and >650 HD cameras

Negative

• None.

Insights

Infrastructure Risk Analyst

PG&E reached 1,000 miles of undergrounded lines, cutting system wildfire ignition risk by 8.4% since 2023.

What it means: Undergrounding removes nearly all ignition risk where installed and now serves customers in 27 counties, including large deployments in Butte (337 miles) and Shasta (119 miles). The program is presented as a core, permanent reduction in equipment-related wildfire ignitions.

Why it matters: A measurable 8.4% systemwide risk reduction is a concrete operational outcome tied to a defined scope of work; reaching 1,000 miles provides scale that changes exposure in many local service areas. The stated target of 1,600 miles by end of 2026 and an expected 18% total system risk reduction give a clear, monitorable next milestone.

If tracking, monitor the progress to 1,600 miles and any independent verification of the claimed risk percentages.

Utility Financial Analyst

PG&E reports cost per mile fell from $4.0M to $3.1M in 2025 while delivering 1,000 miles of undergrounding.

What it means: The press release discloses tangible unit-cost improvement and scale economies tied to hiring local contractors and construction efficiencies; those figures allow simple arithmetic on capital needs for planned miles.

Why it matters: A reduced cost per mile directly lowers projected capital outlays for further undergrounding and affects customer cost claims. The company cites process changes that explain the decline to $3.1M per mile and forecasts additional reductions.

Monitor the company’s future disclosures for actual annual spending, miles completed versus plan, and any auditor or regulator confirmation of the $3.1M metric.

Results: Underground Powerlines in 27 Counties; System-wide Risk Reduced by 8.4%

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has now constructed and energized 1,000 miles of powerlines underground in high fire risk areas. PG&E has identified its undergrounding effort as the largest ever by a utility to reduce wildfire risk. In the locations where those lines provide electricity to customers, undergrounding eliminates nearly all wildfire risk.

In total, PG&E's system hardening efforts, which includes undergrounding, stronger overhead poles and wires and line removals, have permanently removed 8.4% of wildfire ignition risk from our entire system since 2023.

How far is 1,000 miles? If you drove from the Oregon-California border down to the California-Mexico border, you would travel 932 miles.

"Putting 1,000 miles of powerlines underground is a significant milestone for our customers as we work to reduce wildfire risk every day," said Peter Kenny, PG&E's senior vice president of Electric Operations. "When our CEO, Patti Poppe, announced in 2021 that we would put thousands of miles of powerlines underground, skeptics said it couldn't be done. Well, not only are we at 1,000 miles and counting, but we also have substantially reduced the cost for our customers as we've scaled up our work."

Underground powerlines are now serving customers in high fire-risk areas of 27 counties in Northern and Central California, ranging from 337 miles in Butte County and 119 miles in Shasta County to more than 50 miles of buried powerlines in each of El Dorado, Lake, Placer, Plumas and Solano counties. 

By the end of 2026, PG&E anticipates a total of 1,600 miles of powerlines will be underground, contributing to a total risk reduction of 18% across the entire system.

Since the start of the program, the cost per mile of undergrounding has decreased from $4 million to $3.1 million in 2025. Further reductions are expected in coming years.

Undergrounding cost savings have been achieved through multiple innovations and ideas.

• Reducing cost and travel time and supporting local economies by hiring hometown contractors.
• Working more efficiently with state-of-the-art construction equipment, including chain trenchers, rock-wheel saws and slinger trucks.
• Avoiding the year-after-year tree trimming required by overhead line maintenance.
• Saving time, money and additional dirt removal by reducing the standard depth and width of trenches.
• Cutting disposal costs by using excess soil from undergrounding projects for other operational projects.

With increasing fire risk across the western United States, it is critical to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. PG&E is taking both immediate and long-term actions to keep communities safe, while also focusing on reduced costs and increased reliability.

PG&E uses multiple layers of protection that work together to prevent wildfires. These have significantly reduced wildfire risk. These safety measures prevented major fires from our equipment in 2023 and 2024 and have greatly reduced wildfire risk since 2018.

Over the past seven years, PG&E has:

• Developed a state-wide network of nearly 1,600 weather stations and more than 650 HD cameras to respond to wildfire risk in real time
• Inspected, trimmed or removed over 960,000 trees and other types of vegetation across the service area
• Completed more than 1,000 miles of undergrounding
• Installed more than 1,400 miles of strengthened power poles and covered powerlines

Matt Pender, PG&E's vice president of Undergrounding and System Hardening, praised his team for its focus on protecting customers.

"It feels amazing to be making a difference that will last for many, many years, for decades, by putting these lines underground and reducing wildfire risk for the long run," he said.

According to a report by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, PG&E was recognized as one of the nation's top utilities for wildfire readiness, exemplifying the highest level of preparedness. The report also ranked PG&E's Wildfire Mitigation Plan at Tier 1 maturity, the highest possible score in the assessment.

To learn more about PG&E's wildfire safety efforts, visit pge.com/wildfiresafetyprogess.

Note: B-roll available upon request

About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company

FAQ

How many miles of powerlines has PG&E (PCG) put underground as of Oct 3, 2025?

PG&E has energized 1,000 miles of underground powerlines as of Oct 3, 2025.

What wildfire risk reduction does PG&E (PCG) report from undergrounding and system hardening?

PG&E reports a 8.4% permanent reduction in system wildfire ignition risk since 2023.

How much did PG&E (PCG) reduce undergrounding costs per mile in 2025?

Cost per mile fell from $4.0M to $3.1M in 2025.

What is PG&E's (PCG) undergrounding goal and expected impact by end of 2026?

PG&E anticipates 1,600 miles underground by end of 2026, contributing to an 18% system risk reduction.

Which counties are now served by PG&E's (PCG) underground lines?

Underground lines serve customers in high fire‑risk areas across 27 counties, including Butte (337 miles) and Shasta (119 miles).

What other system‑hardening measures has PG&E (PCG) completed to reduce wildfire risk?

PG&E reports >1,400 miles of strengthened poles/covered lines, ~1,600 weather stations, >650 HD cameras, and ~960,000 vegetation inspections/removals.