re: In general, why aren't utilities underground to avoid loss of power?

We have some areas here with overhead and some with underground.

I don’t know of any that started overground and it’s all newer developments with underground. I can’t imagine trying to bury lines at this point downtown, in areas like the Highlands or Old Louisville where you have a lot of historical properties and so on.

ETA: I’m guessing we’d also have issues here in the state with the limestone we sit on top of. I know how quick cost skyrockets when you’re putting in a pool and hit a limestone slab. Can’t imagine for lines.

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People on here say heat, but it has nothing to do with that. 90% of utilities in Austin are underground and it’s a hell of a lot hotter there than it is here. I’ve lived in both areas. It’s all about doing things the easy cheap way in LA

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Simply not true

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Higher costs to bury them, but certain areas are willing to do so for better looks and less loss of power.

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Entergy finally broke down and finally buried its lines between Grand Isle and Fourchon.

Fourchon still needs its aerial High Voltage Main Lines from the Transmission Network, but once you get to Grand Isle it is much simpler to run the lines underground for a few miles till you get to Elmers Island.

The Main Transmission lines were wooden and some of them were in the middle of the marsh, about a decade ago Entergy moved those lines to steel poles near LA - 1, and replaced the wooden poles between Larose and Golden Meadow. After Ida, I don't think many of those lines had issues, but the last miles to residences had major issues and in some areas had to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. Also, the main roadside distribution lines between Golden Meadow and Grand Isle were replaced with thicker poles that are closer spaced, and have sections the cancelled Keystone pipeline that were repurposed as caissons to better secure the poles in the ground that were filled with aggregates.
Before Ida

After Ida

In our hood many are under ground.
Mostly from pole to house is buried.

Doesn’t help much when the power poles coming into the hood fall.

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People on here say heat, but it has nothing to do with that. 90% of utilities in Austin are underground and it’s a hell of a lot hotter there than it is here. I’ve lived in both areas. It’s all about doing things the easy cheap way in LA

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If you ever laid eyes on the distribution line power grid maps of this country, you'd understand how ignorant this comment is.

If, say, Entergy Louisiana wanted to bury all - hell let's just go with half- of their distribution line network, the power bill for their customers, in order to offset the costs, would cause a revolt with heads on spikes outside the Entergy LA main office.

You've no idea what you're talking about, on several fronts.

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If the service is a 13.8kv or 19.2 kv system, you don't just tap into it. Stress cones and modular splices are required and are a pain to deal with since the magnetic properties of voltage that high are constantly degrading the semicon areas of the cones.

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You gonna do 220?

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The only thing I’d dispute in your post is “oil-filled conduit”. Can you elaborate?

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My understanding is that medium-high voltage underground power lines often (usually?) utilize a dielectric oil fill that acts as an additional insulator, helps remove heat, and helps prevent water ingress.

If I’m mistaken, someone feel free to correct me. Admittedly it’s not my field.

if the Fed Gov won't spend money to improve the infrastructure we have now, they sure as shite wont pay to essentially redo what is already out there.

It always amuses me when people put this expensive landscaping in their front servitudes in these newer neighborhoods and then get all upset when they have to dig it up to repair the utilities