07-07-2025
Japan eyes new target for replacing utility poles with underground power cables
The infrastructure ministry will set a new target for stepping up efforts to move power lines underground in the nation and eliminate existing above-ground utility poles.
Specifically, in its envisaged new five-year plan starting in fiscal 2026, the ministry will list sections of emergency transport routes in urban areas for which it aims to complete work to replace utility poles with underground power cables by fiscal 2030, informed sources said. The ministry hopes to formalize the new plan next spring, after discussions by a panel of experts.
The ministry is mainly seeking to remove utility poles along approximately 21,826 kilometers of urban-area emergency transport routes that have a high risk of collapsing in the event of a disaster. As of the end of fiscal 2024, such work had been completed for only 35% of the high-priority areas.
The current program, covering fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2025, sets a target for the construction start rate.
In areas where putting power lines underground is challenging due to reasons such as roads being narrow, the ministry plans to utilize roadside drains, the sources said.
This approach is expected to reduce costs and shorten construction times. Laying power lines underground is estimated to cost around ¥500 million ($3.4 million) per kilometer of road, according to the sources.
Emergency transport routes, designated by prefectural governments under the basic law on disaster management, are designed for use to ensure a smooth transportation option for people needing emergency medical care and relief goods in times of disasters.
The construction of new utility poles along such roads is banned as fallen poles could obstruct emergency vehicle traffic.
With removing utility poles also helping to improve the urban landscape, the ministry is providing financial support to electric power companies and others that manage power lines and to local governments to facilitate replacing above-ground poles with underground power lines.
