Two items are on the agenda for this week’s Austin City Council meeting aimed at burying some of the city’s power lines. Councilmembers Ryan Alter and Vanessa Fuentes introduced the items in the wake of February’s ice storm, which brought down more than 30 percent of the Austin’s tree canopy and knocked out power for tens of thousands of people.
Fuentes’ resolution, item 58, would assess the feasibility of burying power lines for on-going construction projects in a city right-of-way, such as city-owned roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and other public infrastructure. This assessment would also take into consideration how various departments could collaborate on future city-funded projects to bury lines.
“Last month’s ice storm served as another wakeup call to the threat of climate change facing our communities. Austinites deserve to feel safe and assured that our city’s infrastructure is prepared to handle any extreme weather event,” said Fuentes. “Though there is plenty of work left to do, these resolutions mark a critical step toward the climate resiliency needed to keep our neighbors and homes safe.”
Alter’s item 84 directs the city manager to develop a plan to convert existing overhead power lines into underground, buried power lines.
“I began working on this item in the immediate aftermath of our recent winter storm when, like many of you, my family lost power. With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change, Austin must take appropriate action to ensure our infrastructure is safe, resilient, and reliable,” said Alter.
