Lots of rock in that VT soil.

Nope, not even close.

Actually, no, every time they have to make a repair, it costs.

No.

We directional bore in NE, and even install power lines via this method in CT.

And yes, ledge.

And yes, expensive.

And underground would still be installed and maintained by lineman. And when it goes wrong, it’s a bigger process.

Even if you use existing underground utility trenches like where the plumbing and water lines are running, it is still expensive. They have to be sealed from moisture and insulated. The lines put out heat which has to be dealt with more aggressively underground. The seals complicate any repair and require more expensive components and I believe they may not last as long underground, but not sure of that. I read up on it and that was some of the takeaway. Various articles said it was five to 10 times more expensive

Expensive + devastating to the environment.

and that's in Vermont... right? lol

I've been saying this my whole life. I do not understand why this isn't a national initiative, honestly. Even the substations should be underground. The only reason it's not being done is because 'it would cost too much' (they say as they have to pay out hundreds of billions in repair and replacement costs after each next disaster).

Rocks, large rocks, and—along forest roads—root systems of trees that are challenged enuf by wet weather. We need our trees holding the roadsides together.

I couldn't find any SF6, but if you have a source I guess post it. https://electrical-engineering-portal.com/understanding-underground-electric-transmission-cables

In other regions, that is not true. Horizontal auger rigs can do some amazing stuff in clay and sand. In the NE, we have "ledge" and boulders to go through. Really hard to do.

Too much "ledge".

That 'insulation' is called a dielectric.

The dielectric is sulfur hexafluoride. You can watch some amusing videos about what happens when people breathe it in.

Unfortunately, its, perhaps, the strongest greenhouse gas known to man and resides in the atmosphere for 3200 years.

That material should be banned on Earth. On Mars it'd be a desirable terra forming gas. Here? its a forever nightmare compound.

There’s lots of other shit buried underground too which makes it more difficult.

Waterbury did too. Looks nice.

Not well versed on the subject, but yes. A friend of mines parent, a linesman, explained to me that our industry for line repair and electric in general - New England and NY/PA - provides a lot of help to other states down south that don’t have the same infrastructure or money and get hit even worse by storms

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For any rural lines, If you do a good job of cutting all the trees near the powerlines it's much cheaper and minimizes customer down time. There really isn't anything else you can do. The cost of burying the lines per household is too high if you have to go 20 miles down a dirt road to farmer Fred. Like a million a household high.

You can't reuse the lines because the underground lines require insulation that the above ground lines do not. Additionally you must have redundancy because it takes weeks to replace under ground lines vs hours for overhead lines.

589$ in oil

Even considering the cost of labor to upkeep and repair overhead lines?

Lasers.

Money money money mon-ey…MON-EY! -The O’Jays

Spare me the sermon on conservation, IDC and you would be wasting your energy. Not ever going to have a bit of respect for those sick SOB's who use this barbaric practice in this day and age. I could almost understand before we had the technology we have now and had to depend on the natural world for food and clothing but now? now you just want an excuse to torture animals.

Sick! That is the only word..printable that is , that i can use for you types.