SAN DIEGO — Russ Ries believes the power lines in the La Jolla Muirlands neighborhood on Mount Soledad are a fire risk along the canyons. “The power lines right there and how close they are… They're not that far away,” said Ries as he stood on a canyon ridge.
Not to mention, the power lines affect the aesthetics of the neighborhood, where Ries has lived for more than 50 years. “It does change the whole ambiance of the area. and so, from day one, we've always wanted to have them undergrounded,” said Ries.
In 2018, Ries said the San Diego City Council had a plan to underground the power lines and remove the poles in his neighborhood by 2023. He said surrounding neighborhoods were completed but not his.
The city of San Diego recently updated it's website with a map showing which neighborhoods were being undergrounded. But estimated dates of construction in Ries’ La Jolla district were not included. “They have a website. It's almost impossible to figure out where you are,” said Ries.
City of San Diego rate payers pay a 3.5 percent franchise fee to help pay for power line undergrounding. The city currently has about $317 million dollars in its undergrounding account. In fiscal year 2024, the city said it spent $55 million on undergrounding projects.
The good news is the city plans on doubling its spending on undergrounding projects next year to about $110 million. The city council's Environment Committee meets annually to take public comment on the progress of undergrounding and which neighborhoods should be considered.
“The public won't see it quite yet, but in the next couple of years, we'll see that dramatic change,” said City Councilman Joe LaCava at the committee meeting in May.
Currently, most undergrounding work is done by SDG&E crews because the city does not have the manpower to do the projects itself. “It's strictly a manpower issue. At this point, there's only so many projects they can manage,” Chris Gascon, an assistant director in the city’s transportation department, said during a committee meeting in May.
A city spokesperson said there is no estimate on when undergrounding construction will begin in the La Jolla Muirlands neighborhood.