Undergrounding – Part 2

Being a utility professional I’ve always noted the design of the distribution system on my street (see the main image).

Yes we have power poles, but they perform multiple jobs, as can be see above:

1. They carry our street lights.
2. Near the top, they carry the medium-voltage circuit conductors that feed our neighborhood (note that there are just two-conductors).
3. Note the pole in the distance has a more pronounced bulge on top than the one in the foreground, this is the distribution transformer that converts the medium voltage to low voltage (120/240 split phase).
4. The pole then carries the LV to its underground path to the residences.

The problem: our neighborhood is about 55 years old – the underground LV cables are starting to fail. Thus PG&E’s Underground Contractor, (MGE Underground) has been busy in our neighborhood digging up our streets and sidewalks, and replacing underground cables. Since my office is in the front of the house, and views a major focus of this work, I got to see much of this process. Unfortunately we accidentally got involved in another way.