Bill > SCR99

This Concurrent Resolution requests the Public Utilities Commission, a state agency that oversees utility companies, to address and potentially adopt recommendations from a 1999 Legislative Reference Bureau report titled "Undergrounding Public Utility Lines." The report explored the feasibility of burying utility lines, which involves replacing overhead electric and telecommunication cables with underground ones, to improve scenic views, enhance reliability, and reduce damage from events like hurricanes, as seen after Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Specifically, the resolution asks the Commission to consider recommendations that include prioritizing the aesthetic value of natural landscapes, developing ways to measure the benefits of undergrounding, and establishing financial incentives or cost-sharing programs for this purpose. The resolution also requires the Public Utilities Commission to report back to the Legislature by early 2023, explaining any reasons why it did not adopt these recommendations.