City Utilities exploring new methods, technology to improve future responses to severe weather

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — City Utilities of Springfield is exploring new methods and technologies to address severe weather events that have recently caused record-breaking power outages.

The utility company is considering primarily burying power lines in new developments as a way to reduce damage during storms. Although there is no formal plan for undergrounding, the idea is being discussed as a potential solution to minimize outages.

Rob Guiler, Director of Electric Transmission and Distribution, explained that buried power lines could lead to fewer outages during severe weather events, though they would not eliminate outages entirely.

He also acknowledges that there are some issues with burying.

"Sometimes it takes us longer to find the trouble when the lines are buried than when they're overhead." says Guiler.

He adds that they have no plans to bury the over 70% of powerlines above ground, saying that it would be "very expensive to do so" and cites their balance of reliability and affordability.

Rebecca Hodges, a Springfield resident who lost power during a July storm, expressed support for the idea of buried lines.

"I think that's a great idea. I don't know, cost wise, what that would mean for taxes." says Hodges, "But as far as the idea goes, yeah, I think that would be awesome. It would eliminate so many dangers; it would look better."

City Utilities is also investigating new technologies to improve response times to power outages. These technologies fall under the realm of grid modernization and could help locate outage sources more quickly and automate some restoration processes.

Teams at CU have been discussing these advancements for years, and they are now reaching a point where implementation may be feasible.

Rebecca Hodges mentioned that while she supports the idea of buried lines, she would like more information about how new technologies would impact service and costs.

As City Utilities of Springfield considers these initiatives, the focus remains on improving resilience against severe weather and enhancing service reliability for customers.

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