WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Task Force Formed To Explore Burying D.C. Power Lines

Play associated audio
Burying power lines would significantly reduce the risk of outages, but at a high upfront cost.
Armando Trull
Burying power lines would significantly reduce the risk of outages, but at a high upfront cost.

After this summer's powerful thunderstorm, known as a derecho, left hundreds of area residents without electricity for days, D.C. Mayor Gray is forming a task force to look at burying the city's power lines underground.

The costs are enormous. Moving the power lines underground would likely cost several billion dollars, take decades to complete, and at times, disrupt the day-to-day life for residents all over the District. Nonetheless, pressure is mounting for city politicians to tackle D.C.'s frequent power outages.

The mayor, in a statement today, says its time for a game-changer . The task force will be led by City Administrator Allen Lew and Pepco President Joseph Rigby. It will also include two residents from Ward 7 and Ward 3 — two areas of D.C. that routinely suffer the worst outages.

The first meeting will be held next Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Wilson Building. It will be open to the public.

NPR

Brooks: 'I'm An EGOT; I Don't Need Any More'

The screenwriter, producer, director and actor, whose name has become synonymous with American comedy, talks about his penchant for spoofs and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner. Brooks is the subject of a new American Masters documentary on PBS.
NPR

Washington State Butcher Spikes Pig Feed With Weed

Despite its name, the "pot pig" experiment isn't an attempt to develop a new meaty treat for stoners. Instead, a Seattle butcher is feeding marijuana seeds, stems and root bulbs to swine as a cheeky money-saving measure.
NPR

Turnabout Is Fair Play: Senators Have Many Questions For IRS

The IRS gave some conservative groups extra, improper scrutiny. Now there's a bipartisan request for the IRS to answer dozens of questions. Read the queries and demands for information from the top Democrat and top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.
NPR

Yahoo's Other Billion Dollar Bets: Where Are They Now?

Tumblr joins GeoCities, Broadcast.com and Overture in the small fraternity of Yahoo's $1 billion-plus acquisitions. What can the company can learn from its previous purchases?

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.