Five years ago, PG&E's equipment sparked the deadly Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise, California, and killed 85 people. But just a year later, in the same county, PG&E's equipment started another catastrophic fire, prompting the utility to announce its extensive undergrounding plan. The utility has undergrounded 350 miles of power lines so far this year, and more than 600 miles since 2021. While Martin says moving power lines underground reduces ignition risk by 98%, it comes at a steep cost. The bill would be footed by PG&E's customers, who already face some of the highest rates in the nation.

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Persons: Jamie Martin, Martin, Katy Morsony, Morsony, Daniel Kirschen, Kirschen Organizations: Pacific Gas and, undergrounding, California Public Utilities Commission, Reform, University of Washington Locations: California, Maui, Paradise , California