Upstate leaders support program to bury powerlines
CLEMSON, S.C. (WSPA) – The City of Clemson said many lessons were learned during Hurricane Helene. Now they're making sure everyone knows about a program leaders said can save you thousands.
It's called 'Down Under Electric.'
'The partnership started in 2022, and since then, we've had over 150 applications,' said Allison Gantte, Clemson Deputy City Administrator.
Adam Jones, one of the participants in the program, said he lost power for nine days during Helene. His service line was taken off of the pole by a fallen tree.
'Nine days was a long time to not have power. I didn't want to go through that one again,' said Jones
Jones said there are a few ways that crews can hide power lines. He decided on the line under his driveway.
'They came out here with a drill rig and they drilled in the conductors,' said Jones. 'Then, they ran them (lines) up and connected them to the service line above. They drilled the line underground and as you follow across the driveway, you can see a couple of white dots and that's where the conductors and sleeves were drilled. They came around the side of the house over to the meter socket.'
Duke Energy said placing a line underground doesn't entirely eliminate a chance for an outage, but underground lines are less vulnerable to weather and generally easier to maintain.
The stipend between the City of Clemson and Duke Energy is 3,000. Homeowners are responsible for the rest.
'It varies by property because each property is unique. If you have to go under the driveway, it's going to be more expensive than going through the yard,' said Gantte.
If interested, you can fill out a form right at your fingertips.
'It's a very simple form. You'll put your name, your address, your phone number and your email, and then you'll click if you have overhead lines or underground and if you have overhead lines you are eligible,' said Gantte.
Officials said homeowners deciding to participate in this program have 30 days to pay any additional cost over the allotted $3,000 before work can begin.
Keep in mind, getting a quote and approved could take a few days, up to a couple of weeks. To learn more or apply, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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