PA HR254

Directs the Joint State Government Commission to study the feasibility of a statewide project to place electrical and utility lines underground, with a report due within one year of adoption

Study must examine cost, viability, geographic and topographic limitations, right-of-way issues, and land usage issues associated with underground electrical lines

Requires the Commission to consult with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission when conducting the study

Pennsylvania ranks fifth nationally for weather-related outages with over 82 outages from 2000-2022, and has experienced combined disaster costs up to $5 billion in multiple years since 2000

Trees and vegetation have been the leading cause of power outages in Pennsylvania since 2015, with some storm-related outages lasting more than a week