Put power lines underground

In regard to your article “PUD targeting trouble-making trees to keep lights on”: I cannot understand why county government insists of spending millions of dollars every year with tree trimming and removal. Snohomish County and Whidbey Island combined expenditure is $21 million alone? My great parents house was built in 1900 and already had underground wiring — although their house was in Germany.

Is it really that expensive to just start in one corner of the county and continue to replace above-ground wiring with underground? Eventually everything would be underground and power outages due to fallen branches and trees would be a thing of the past. Would love to see a study done on what the cost savings would be over the next 10 years.

Marion Conlin

Arlington