The cause is relatively obvious: many houses and buildings are connected to the power grid by overground power lines. Costs and benefitsPerhaps the main argument against burying power lines is the cost. If the cost to households and businesses from a loss of power is also considered, the economics of burying power lines become much more palatable. In shaky California, one utility company plans to spend US$10 billion burying power lines to prevent fires. At this point, it’s not clear how extensively cyclone Gabrielle damaged the power lines, but it will likely take days or weeks, not hours, to restore power to everyone.

Source: Stuff February 15, 2023 00:37 UTC