The first message transmitted through Samuel Morse’s newly-inaugurated telegraph line asked, “What hath God wrought?” Sent from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland through a system of wires suspended above homes and trees on wooden poles, the 1844 dispatch was oddly fitting. Suspended telegraph wires were soon supplanted by Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone wires and supplemented by electricity wires connecting citizens to the growing grid. But they were not a universally popular choice. At first, people complained utility poles, as they would come to be called, were unreasonably ugly. Today, people claim they’re unreasonably risky.
Each year, hurricanes, snowstorms, and an assortment of other weather events destroy above-ground utility poles. Heavy snow and ice can snap wires. More commonly, ferocious winds topple utility poles themselves, or uproot neighboring trees, which drag nearby wires down with them.
The costs of the corresponding outages are immense. Numerous analyses show even a one hour power outage can cost commercial and industrial facilities tens of thousands of dollars—and outages often last much longer. In specialized industries like museums, a power outage can mean the difference between a safe, stable climate for art and an environment that starts to quickly degrade priceless artifacts. And as we’ve witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, damaged grids can claim human lives.
That’s why many people argue for “undergrounding,” the process by which existing utility poles are moved from their current spot above the tree canopy to a protected tunnel below the earth. Proponents, who seem to grow more vocal over the summer as hurricane season picks up speed, say this move would ensure the grid’s resiliency, even in hurricane-prone places like south Florida. But Ted Kury, the director of energy studies at the University of Florida’s Public Utility Research Center, says not so fast. Undergrounding could reduce the number of hurricane-related outages in some places. But these buried lines bring with them their own problems—and price tag.
A costly process with no guarantees
There are two methods used to toss out poles and taking utility cables underground. The cheapest method is called open trenching, where utility companies dig into the earth, laying down the string of utility networks as they go and backfilling the trenches later. This often requires rerouting traffic and other significant (albeit short term) changes to the movement of a community.
Many municipalities opt instead for directional drilling. Adapted from an old oil and gas technique, directional drilling is a less invasive—but more expensive—option for undergrounding utilities. From a fixed point, installers can drive a pipe through a carefully-plotted, miles-long subterranean channel without disrupting street-level activities.
In either case, the wires hanging above aren’t ready for life underground without some modifications, the most important of which is insulation. Electricity wires are, by their nature, very warm, as they’re channeling currents to and fro. In the open air, this heat can dissipate, but deep in the soil it can’t. That’s why utilities wrapped their underground wires in plastic and surround them with a conduit like oil to keep things from overheating.
While that may sound simple—anyone with a backhoe could do it!—it’s not. Depending on the density of the local population and the terrain, undergrounding can cost billions of dollars. As Kury wrote in a piece for The Conversation last fall, many communities have factored out the expenses of undergrounding and decided that it wasn’t worth the price. In North Carolina, for example, the approximately 25-year-long process of undergrounding the entire state’s utilities would raise electricity prices by 125 percent. Most of the state’s power still hangs overhead. Even Washington, D.C., which has made the decision to underground a portion of its utility wires, is expected to cost $1 billion and raise rates.
That’s not the only cost, either. Repairing underground systems is often more expensive than repairing those suspended in the air. “When the power goes out, there are two obstacles that [utility] faces before they can fix the line,” Kury says. “One, identification of the fault, and then two, access to the line.” While smart grid technology is making identification easier—devices could tell the utility exactly where in the system a given disruption lies—access to underground systems is hindered. Repairs often require disruptive digging, which is only made more difficult by frozen soils in a blizzard or floodwaters that often follow hurricane-force winds.
Ultimately, neither system can protect power in every situation. During Hurricane Sandy, which slammed into the northeast in 2012, underground electrical equipment was flooded and aboveground utility poles were downed. “It’s nearly impossible to protect the electricity grid from damage,” Kury says.
Other advances in girding the grid
Communities that don’t want to fund big undergrounding projects do have other options to explore. In recent years, many cities have replaced the old wooden utility poles with frames made of durable metal. And tension ropes, called guy wires, can help to anchor poles to the earth. At the same time, Kury says vegetation management is crucial. Pruning, watering, and inoculating trees against pests can keep them healthy and better able to endure storms. At the same time, swiftly removing unstable trees could reduce the chance some venerable old oak destroys neighboring power lines when high winds uproot it.
Many utility companies also deploy drones in unique ways. Commercial drones like those from Yuneec can reduce the response time for customer calls. In some utility districts, data from drones is used to share the latest information with technicians and customers on everything from the height of utility lines to the functionality of neighborhood storm drains. And in a pinch, drones can aid in aerial reconnaissance at sites that have been rendered otherwise inaccessible by storms.
Smarter grid have also helped utilities get ahead of problems before they arise. In recent hurricanes, Kury says, Florida’s power providers selectively shut down substations at risk of flooding or other damage and reroute that energy. The hope is proactive decisions like these will allow power to be restored more quickly and reduce the potential for a single pain point to gum up service across the system.
Ultimately, some combination of these tactics can make a more resilient grid. But, Kury says, “there is no blanket policy that works for everybody.” Every city must make the decision that’s right for its residents, while acknowledging no system can function perfectly when it’s up against Mother Nature.
"Ujumbe wa kwanza uliopitishwa kupitia mstari wa telegrafu mpya wa Samuel Morse ulijiuliza, ""Mungu amefanya nini?"" Kutumwa kutoka Washington, D.C. hadi Baltimore, Maryland kupitia mfumo wa waya zilizowekwa juu ya nyumba na miti kwenye nguzo za mbao, ujumbe wa 1844 ulikuwa wa kushangaza." Nyota za telegrafu zilizokuwa zimesimamishwa zilichukuliwa mahali na nyaya za simu za Alexander Graham Bell na kuongezwa na nyaya za umeme zilizowasiliana na raia kwenye mtandao uliokuwa ukiongezeka. Lakini hazikuwa chaguo la kawaida. Mwanzoni, watu walilalamika kwamba nguzo za umeme, kama zilivyoitwa baadaye, zilikuwa mbaya sana. Leo, watu wanadai kwamba wao ni hatari isivyofaa. Kila mwaka, vimbunga, dhoruba za theluji, na matukio mengine mbalimbali ya hali ya hewa huharibu nguzo za umeme zilizo juu ya ardhi. Theluji nzito na barafu zaweza kuvunja waya. Kwa kawaida, upepo mkali huangusha nguzo za umeme, au kuangusha miti ya jirani, ambayo huvuta waya zilizo karibu pamoja nayo. Gharama za kukatika kwa umeme ni kubwa sana. Uchambuzi mwingi unaonyesha hata kutokuwa na umeme kwa saa moja kunaweza kugharimu vifaa vya kibiashara na viwandani makumi ya maelfu ya dola - na kukatika kwa umeme mara nyingi huendelea kwa muda mrefu zaidi. Katika viwanda maalumu kama vile makumbusho, kukatika kwa umeme kunaweza kumaanisha tofauti kati ya mazingira salama na thabiti kwa sanaa na mazingira ambayo huanza kuharibu haraka vitu vya thamani. Na kama tulivyoona baada ya Kimbunga Maria huko Puerto Rico, mitandao iliyoharibiwa inaweza kuua watu. Hiyo ndiyo sababu watu wengi wanadai "kuingia chini ya ardhi", mchakato ambao nguzo zilizopo za huduma husafirishwa kutoka mahali pao pa sasa juu ya kifuniko cha miti hadi kwenye handaki lililolindwa chini ya ardhi. Wafuasi wa mpango huo, ambao wanaonekana kuongezeka sauti wakati wa majira ya joto wakati msimu wa vimbunga unapozidi kuongezeka, wanasema hatua hii itahakikisha uthabiti wa gridi, hata katika maeneo yanayokabiliwa na vimbunga kama Florida kusini. Ted Kurie, mkurugenzi wa utafiti wa nishati katika Chuo Kikuu cha Florida, anasema: Kufanya kazi chini ya ardhi kwaweza kupunguza idadi ya mapumziko yanayohusiana na vimbunga katika sehemu fulani. Lakini mistari hii iliyofunikwa huleta matatizo yao wenyewe na bei. Utaratibu wa gharama kubwa bila dhamana Kuna njia mbili zinazotumiwa kutupa nguzo na kuchukua nyaya za huduma chini ya ardhi. Njia ya chini zaidi ni kuchimba mitaro, ambapo makampuni ya huduma ya umma kuchimba katika ardhi, kuweka chini ya mstari wa mitaro ya huduma kama wao kwenda na backfilling mitaro baadaye. Hii mara nyingi inahitaji redirecting trafiki na nyingine muhimu (ingawa muda mfupi) mabadiliko ya harakati ya jamii. Manispaa nyingi huchagua badala yake kuchimba visima kwa mwelekeo. Iliyotengenezwa kutoka kwa mbinu ya zamani ya mafuta na gesi, kuchimba kwa mwelekeo ni chaguo lisilo na uvamizi lakini la gharama kubwa zaidi kwa huduma za chini ya ardhi. Kutoka mahali fulani, wasimamizi wanaweza kuendesha bomba kupitia mfereji wa chini ya ardhi wenye urefu wa maili nyingi bila kuvuruga shughuli za barabarani. Katika hali yoyote, waya kushikilia juu si tayari kwa ajili ya maisha chini ya ardhi bila baadhi ya marekebisho, muhimu zaidi ambayo ni insulation. Vifaa vya umeme ni, kwa asili yao, joto sana, kama wao ni channeling mikondo kwenda na kurudi. Katika hewa ya wazi, joto hili linaweza kupotea, lakini ndani ya udongo haliwezi. Hiyo ndiyo sababu huduma wrapped waya zao chini ya ardhi katika plastiki na kuzunguka yao na bomba kama mafuta ili kuweka mambo kutoka overheating. Ingawa hilo laweza kuonekana kuwa rahisi - mtu yeyote aliye na shimo la nyuma angeweza kufanya hivyo! - sivyo ilivyo. Ikitegemea idadi ya watu wa eneo hilo na eneo hilo, ujenzi wa chini ya ardhi waweza kugharimu mabilioni ya dola. Kama Kury aliandika katika kipande kwa ajili ya mazungumzo ya vuli iliyopita, jamii nyingi wamekuwa factored nje ya gharama za undergrounding na aliamua kwamba haikuwa na thamani ya bei. Kwa mfano, katika jimbo la North Carolina, mchakato wa miaka 25 ya kuunganisha huduma za umma chini ya ardhi utaongeza bei ya umeme kwa asilimia 125 kwa mwaka mmoja. Sehemu kubwa ya nguvu za serikali bado zinatundikwa juu ya vichwa. Washington D.C. pia imepanga kuweka sehemu ya mifumo yake ya umeme chini ya ardhi, na inatarajiwa kuwa na gharama ya dola bilioni moja na kuongeza viwango vya umeme. Hiyo si gharama pekee, ama. Mara nyingi kurekebisha mifumo ya chini ya ardhi ni ghali zaidi kuliko kurekebisha ile iliyoinuka hewani. "Wakati umeme unapotoka, kuna vizuizi viwili ambavyo [utility] inakabiliwa kabla ya kuweza kurekebisha mstari", Kury anasema. "Mmoja, utambulisho wa kosa, na kisha mbili, upatikanaji wa mstari. ""Wakati teknolojia ya gridi ya akili inafanya utambulisho rahisi, vifaa vinaweza kumwambia huduma hasa ambapo katika mfumo wa usumbufu uliotolewa unapatikana, upatikanaji wa mifumo ya chini ya ardhi unazuiwa." Mara nyingi ukarabati huhitaji kuchimba kwa njia ya kuvuruga, jambo ambalo linafanya iwe vigumu zaidi kwa sababu ya udongo ulioyeyushwa katika dhoruba ya theluji au mafuriko ambayo mara nyingi hufuata upepo wenye nguvu za kimbunga. Hatimaye, hakuna mfumo wowote unaoweza kulinda nguvu katika kila hali. Wakati wa Kimbunga Sandy, ambayo ilishambulia kaskazini mashariki mwa nchi mwaka 2012, vifaa vya umeme vilivyopo chini ya ardhi vilijaa maji na nguzo za umeme zilizokuwa juu ya ardhi zilipigwa. "Ni karibu haiwezekani kulinda mtandao wa umeme kutokana na uharibifu", Kury anasema. Maendeleo mengine katika girding gridi Jamii ambazo hazitaki kufadhili miradi mikubwa ya chini ya ardhi zina chaguzi nyingine za kuchunguza. Katika miaka ya karibuni, majiji mengi yamebadilisha nguzo za zamani za mbao na kutumia nguzo za chuma zenye kudumu. Na kamba za kuvuta, zinazoitwa waya za kuunganisha, zaweza kusaidia kuunganisha nguzo na dunia. Wakati huo huo, Kury anasema usimamizi wa mimea ni muhimu. Kupunguza miti, kuinyunyizia maji, na kuipinga wadudu kunaweza kuifanya iwe na afya nzuri na iweze kuvumilia dhoruba. Wakati huohuo, kuondoa miti isiyo imara kwa haraka kunaweza kupunguza uwezekano wa mti fulani wa mwaloni wa zamani kuharibu mistari ya umeme ya jirani wakati upepo mkali unapouondoa. Kampuni nyingi za huduma za umma pia hutumia ndege zisizo na rubani kwa njia za kipekee. Drones za kibiashara kama zile kutoka Yuneec zinaweza kupunguza muda wa kujibu kwa simu za wateja. Katika baadhi ya wilaya za huduma, data kutoka kwa drones hutumiwa kushiriki habari za hivi karibuni na mafundi na wateja juu ya kila kitu kutoka kwa urefu wa mistari ya huduma hadi utendaji wa mifereji ya mvua ya jirani. Kwa mfano, ndege zisizo na rubani zinaweza kusaidia katika uchunguzi wa angani katika maeneo ambayo yamekuwa yasiyoweza kufikiwa na dhoruba. Mfumo wa umeme wenye akili zaidi umesaidia pia mashirika ya huduma za umma kuepuka matatizo kabla hayajajitokeza. Katika vimbunga vya hivi karibuni, Kury anasema, watoaji wa umeme wa Florida kwa hiari walimfunga substations katika hatari ya mafuriko au uharibifu mwingine na kuelekeza tena nishati hiyo. """Tumaini ni maamuzi ya proactive kama haya itaruhusu nguvu kurudishwa haraka zaidi na kupunguza uwezekano wa pointi moja ya maumivu ya gum huduma katika mfumo wote." Hatimaye, baadhi ya mchanganyiko wa mbinu hizi inaweza kufanya gridi zaidi ya uimara. Lakini, Kury anasema, "hakuna sera ya blanket ambayo inafanya kazi kwa kila mtu". Kila mji lazima ufanye uamuzi ambao ni sahihi kwa wakazi wake, wakati wa kutambua hakuna mfumo unaweza kufanya kazi kikamilifu wakati ni juu dhidi ya Mama Asili.