Xcel Energy has begun undergrounding a powerline along North 75th Street as part of its wildfire mitigation program, with construction expected through the summer and more undergrounding projects planned elsewhere in the Boulder area later this year.
The 1.7-mile project between Windhover Lane and Lookout Road is part of Xcel’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan, which aims to reduce the risk of utility-caused wildfires and public safety power shutoffs. The underground line will also help maintain power to one of Boulder’s wastewater treatment plants during future shutoffs. During the city’s first public safety power shutoff in 2024, the plant nearly spilled sewage into Boulder Creek.
Crews are installing the line using a combination of boring and open trenching because existing underground utilities leave little room beneath the roadway. Once the underground line is complete, the existing overhead poles and wires will be removed. The project is expected to take three to six months.
Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians should expect traffic control, lane and sidewalk closures, temporary access changes and construction noise throughout the project.
Two additional undergrounding projects are expected to begin by the end of the year: one covering about five miles north of Boulder near Altona and another spanning roughly 10 miles in South Boulder, according to materials Xcel shared with reporters. Statewide, the utility plans to underground about 50 miles of powerlines.
Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado, said the projects are intended to improve both public safety and electric system reliability, though permitting requirements could delay construction.
Kenney said undergrounding is only one part of the company’s wildfire mitigation strategy. Xcel is also trimming vegetation, installing covered powerlines and strengthening utility poles in areas where burying lines is not practical.
“[Undergrounding] is not the panacea people think it to be,” he said. “That’s why we have a comprehensive plan.”
