HR 254 — A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the issue of underground electrical lines.

PRINTER'S NO.    1866

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 254
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY STEELE, POWELL, SALISBURY, KHAN, PROBST, WEBSTER,
        SANCHEZ, MAYES, HADDOCK, HILL-EVANS, FRANKEL, RIVERA,
        BRENNAN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ AND NEILSON, JUNE 6, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
        UTILITIES, JUNE 9, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the
 2      issue of underground electrical lines.
 3      WHEREAS, Extreme weather events have been occurring more
 4   frequently in Pennsylvania; and
 5      WHEREAS, These effects have had an increased negative
 6   financial impact to homeowners and utility customers across the
 7   State; and
 8      WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has had multiple years with combined
 9   disaster costs of up to $5 billion, which had never occurred
10   prior to the year 2000; and
11      WHEREAS, Since 2015, trees and vegetation have consistently
12   been the leading cause of outages and lost customer minutes in
13   Pennsylvania; and
14      WHEREAS, These storms routinely bring down trees and
15   overhanging limbs from canopy trees, which is the primary threat
16   to Pennsylvania's electric reliability; and
17      WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation for weather-
 1   related outages, with over 82 outages from 2000 to 2022; and
 2      WHEREAS, These storms may cause some residents to face power
 3   outages that last for more than a week; and
 4      WHEREAS, Much of the United States electric grid was built in
 5   the 1960s and 1970s and our aging infrastructure is struggling
 6   to meet our modern electricity needs; and
 7      WHEREAS, One way to prevent extreme weather from affecting
 8   our power grid is to explore the option of underground
 9   electrical lines; and
10      WHEREAS, Installing underground electrical lines costs more
11   initially than overhead lines, but the underground lines are
12   less prone to damage and disruptions; therefore be it
13      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives directs the Joint
14   State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a
15   report studying the efficacy of undertaking a Statewide project
16   of placing electrical and other utility lines underground; and
17   be it further
18      RESOLVED, That the study shall include the following: cost,
19   viability, geographic and topographic limitations, right-of-way
20   issues and land usage issues associated with underground
21   electrical lines; and be it further
22      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission shall
23   consult with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission when
24   conducting their study; and be it further
25      RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission submit
26   the report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to
27   members of the House Consumer Protection, Technology and
28   Utilities Committee within one year after the adoption of this
29   resolution.



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