Photo by billadler

After just about every big storm, D.C. residents that lose power grouse that Pepco and city officials should just bite the bullet and bury power lines. Today Mayor Vince Gray announced details on a task force that would debate doing just that.

The task force, which will meet for the first time on August 23, will be led by City Administrator Allen Lew and Pepco Chairman Joe Rigby. It will discuss what Gray himself recently called a “game-changer” in D.C.’s response to powerful storms that periodically rip through the city and down trees and power lines—burying power lines in neighborhoods outside of D.C.’s central core.

“I called for a ‘game-changer’ after the repeated power outages caused by this summer’s severe storms and delays in restoring power to many District residents. The undergrounding task force will finally develop long-term solutions to these all-too-frequent disruptions,” said Gray in a statement. “This group will be tasked with gathering information to develop plans that will, over time, greatly reduce the impacts of severe weather on our power grid.”

The idea’s Achilles Heel remains the sheer cost, which could approach $6 billion. According to a recent Post poll, D.C. residents—many of whom were critical of Pepco’s response to the June 29 derecho storm—are split on how much they’d be willing pay towards such an undertaking. Broken down over 30 years, the cost of the project could add up to $100 to each costumer’s bill per month.

In July, Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) introduced legislation that would create a commission that could propose the undergrounding of power lines on a rolling basis.