Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • October 2017 | Page 9

CORAL GABLES
TO STUDY
MULTIMILLION
DOLLAR
PLAN TO MOVE
POWER LINES
UNDERGROUND
AFTER IRMA
via Lance Dixon of
the Miami Herald
Coral Gables leaders
moved to pursue moving
power lines underground
and may sue FPL in
order to speed up
negotiations. Gables
officials have been
talking about moving
lines underground since
Hurricane Wilma hit
South Florida in 2005,
but delays in power
restoration after Irma
revived the discussion.
The work could cost
more than $250 million
and potentially lead to an
increase in taxes. “We’re
sitting here 12 years later
and we want the same
thing. I think the only
difference is we’ve got to
take matters into our own
hands,” Commissioner
Frank Quesada said.
Gables leaders think
the plan and the costs
are worthwhile if they
can prevent the kinds
of power outages the
city experienced. FPL
attributed the severity
of the outages to falling
branches and trees
from the city’s large tree
canopy, while the city
placed the blame on
aging infrastructure.
• • •
OCTOBER 2017 • DITCHMEN
9