The District of Columbia Power Line Undergrounding initiative (DC PLUG), an innovative public-private partnership between the District of Columbia and Pepco to improve the reliability and resiliency of the local electric system, has reached another important project milestone. The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia recently approved a joint application by Pepco and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for the Third Biennial Underground Infrastructure Improvement Projects Plan.

The Third Biennial Plan marks the final phase of the DC PLUG initiative, and includes undergrounding select power lines, also referred to as ‘feeders,’ in the following Wards and neighborhoods:

The DC PLUG initiative aims to underground 20 feeders across Wards 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. To date, construction on one feeder has been completed and procurement, design and construction for 19 other feeders is in progress. Once all project construction is complete, DC PLUG will provide increased reliability and resiliency and make power outages less likely during extreme weather events for many electric customers in the District.

Construction work associated with DC PLUG is also translating into jobs for local and diverse businesses and workers. To date, almost all design contracts for the DC PLUG initiative went to 100 percent Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) firms. Additionally, the contract for civil construction, electrical construction, and construction management for our inaugural feeder also went to 100 percent CBE firms, with portions of the work performed by or subcontracted to diverse firms. Working in partnership with the Department of Small and Local Business Development and other agencies, we will continue to engage qualified local and diverse District based businesses throughout the duration of the DC PLUG program.

For more information and to stay up to date on the DC PLUG initiative, visit dcpluginfo.com.