THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996 TAG: 9603130003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
The February ice storm/snowstorm only magnified the blight, vulnerability and inconvenience of overhead power lines. Virginia Power, as well as other power companies which lent a helping hand, were expeditious and efficient in their efforts to restore power to the vast number of customers across Southeastern Virginia. However, think of the costs to customers, who will no doubt incur the gradual fee increases for compensating applicable Virginia Power employees and those other gas companies for thousands of man-hours of labor at more than double their usual pay rates.
My complaint is not against those workers who battle inclement weather and other adverse conditions to restore power but with Virginia Power, which monopolizes the electric-service business in this area. I believe it should invest in this market by making the effort to install power lines underground.
Yes, installation of underground power lines would be a tedious process regarding acquiring power-line easements on individual residential lots and commercial properties. However, these easements are delineated in many of the affluent subdivisions built today. Virginia Power should start with the cities with the highest population and land-use densities (such as Norfolk and Portsmouth) because these are the localities with the greatest cluster of overhead power lines and, therefore, the greater vulnerability to downed power lines and visual blight.
Just take a look at ``before and after'' photographs of the section of Hampton Boulevard near Old Dominion University and the face lift to Virginia Beach's Oceanfront and analyze the cost/benefit ratio of those projects to determine the practicality of such a venture.
BRIAN S. SOLIS
Norfolk, Feb. 19, 1996 by CNB