Nashville Electric Service’s decision to invest in a systemwide undergrounding study is a smart and timely move and one that reflects where our industry needs to go.
Allocating $3M to evaluate undergrounding opportunities, coupled with planned pilot projects, shows a commitment to data-driven grid modernization rather than one-size-fits-all assumptions. Partnering with Burns & McDonnell also signals that this will be a technically rigorous and forward-looking effort.
Undergrounding isn’t just about aesthetics It’s about resilience and reliability. As extreme weather events become more frequent and more severe, overhead infrastructure remains highly exposed to wind, ice, falling vegetation, and cascading outages. Strategic undergrounding can significantly reduce outage frequency, improve restoration times, and harden critical circuits serving essential services.
Of course, undergrounding requires careful cost-benefit analysis, prioritization of high-risk or high-impact areas, and integration with broader grid modernization strategies. That’s exactly why studies like this and targeted pilots are so valuable. They allow utilities to proceed thoughtfully, quantify long-term ROI, assess constructability challenges, and build scalable frameworks for future deployment.
NES is taking a measured, engineering-led approach that other utilities can learn from. This is exactly how we move from conversation to implementation!
