Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Electrification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council to Hear Change Letting Homeowners Reconnect Aerially When Poles Already Present
Summary
City staff recommended an amendment to the utility‑service‑line ordinance that would allow homeowners replacing or upgrading residential service lines to reconnect aerially when a distribution pole exists on the street, a measure staff says could reduce the cost barrier to home electrification.
South Burlington staff asked the council on June 2 to set a public hearing on an amendment to the city’s utility service‑line ordinance that would explicitly permit aerial service connections for residential replacements or upgrades when a utility pole is present on the street.
Planner Bettina Nieves presented the change as a response to resident concerns about the cost of electrifying homes. She said some households need panel upgrades to support heat pumps, electric vehicle chargers or other high‑load devices; when a property lacks conduit, replacing an underground service can cost from roughly $5,000 to $20,000 depending on trenching, boring or site conditions. In contrast, an aerial connection is commonly around $2,000 and Green Mountain Power (GMP) will waive certain fees for electrification upgrades.
Staff estimated that about 24% of residential parcels (roughly 1,700 parcels) have underground service installed before 1989 and therefore may lack conduit; about 35% of parcels have an overhead transformer on the street, which would allow an aerial reconnection if the ordinance permits it. Nieves said GMP does not oppose more aerial residential connections in South Burlington because outages are rare locally and those connections generally do not create reliability issues for neighboring customers.
Under the proposed amendment, a homeowner replacing an existing service line — whether because of damage or to increase capacity for an upgrade — could use an aerial connection if a pole is present, rather than being required to underground. Staff said the amendment aims to lower the cost barrier for residents pursuing electrification while preserving undergrounding as the default for new subdivision infrastructure.
Councilor Smith and other members asked follow‑up technical questions (for example, how conduit and existing underground service interact with new panels and capacity). Staff explained that when adequate conduit exists underground, utilities generally prefer to keep service underground because it is simpler for the utility; the amendment specifically addresses cases where adequate conduit is absent.
The council voted unanimously to set the public hearing for July 7 at 7 p.m. Staff will publish explanatory materials, including maps showing which streets have overhead transformers and an outline of where homeowners should expect conduit requirements to remain in force.
