Whatap the first thing that happens when a big storm hits? The power goes out. Why? Because most of our power lines are above ground.
Power outages are not just inconvenient but a significant threat to people’s lives (e.g., the tragic deaths of elderly people in a Florida nursing home), not to mention the economy. It will take years — if not generations — for parts of the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands to recover from the recent storms. And it will cost trillions of dollars.
I propose that Congress and the White House develop a nationwide plan to put all electric power lines underground, once and for all, and ASAP. This will obviously be a long-range project comparable to the Interstate Highway System — and then some — but the time has come. We must stop doing the same old things in the same old ways. When lives saved and recovery costs are factored in, I believe such a project would pay for itself.
Linda J. Hargrave, Denver
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