On Monday, Mayor Gray will sign a new bill into law that will put major power lines underground, hopefully preventing a repeat of summer 2012.

A District government task force proposed a plan today to move outage-prone power lines underground in hopes of preventing extended blackouts like the one that followed last year’s derecho storm.

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.

District residents aren’t just united in their general mistrust for the local government. According to a poll by The Washington Post, they’re just as down on the local electric company.

One D.C. legislator is proposing a bill that would make it easier to start burying power lines across the city.

A piece of legislation circulating in Montgomery County would take direct aim at Pepco, requiring it to give homeowners advance notice when the utility’s crews need to trim trees to access power lines.

DCist reader Damian Bednarz sends in this image, from Woodley Place and Cathedral Drive in Woodley Park, of a once mighty tree felled by the unforgiving weight of 20 inches of frozen water. Downed trees are just one more hazard we need to be mindful of as we wait out the rest of this potentially historic storm. If you come across or notice a tree has fallen down, the city is asking you to…

If your route home takes you through Thomas Circle, you’re being advised to find an alternate route this evening thanks to some downed electrical wires. The wires are blocking eastbound traffic on Massachusetts Avenue NW at the entrance to the tunnel under Thomas Circle, according to DDOT. All eastbound traffic must detour around the circle in order to continue on Massachusetts. Emergency crews are already on scene and PEPCO is on its way….