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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
DATE: JULY 22, 2025
FROM: PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: PROPOSED FIVE-YEAR UNDERGROUND CONVERSION
PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025/26
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 07
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve the proposed Five-Year Underground Conversion Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26 (Proposed Plan).
DISCUSSION:
The Public Utilities Board (Board), at its meeting on June 25, 2025, recommended that the City Council approve the Proposed Plan. The Proposed Plan, which includes Nohl Ranch/Nohl Canyon as a new project, was presented to and approved by the Underground Subcommittee at its meeting on May 28, 2025 for the Board’s consideration. A list of the projects is included as Attachment 1 and the Proposed Plan is included as Attachment 2.
Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) prepares an update on the Underground Conversion Program to outline the status of ongoing projects and include any new projects proposed by the Underground Subcommittee, comprised of Planning Commissioners and Board members, into the five-year planning process. New projects are identified using adopted criteria which include coordination with other roadway projects, electric reliability and technical considerations, geographic diversity, street right-of-way aesthetics improvements, and available funding.
Background
The City Council, on June 5, 1990, approved a Citywide Underground Conversion Program (Program) to convert electrical and telecommunication lines located along the City’s major roadways from overhead to underground. The Program has evolved with several notable enhancements that included a rebate program in 2007 to allow residents who do not live on those major roadways, to underground their service lines to their electrical panel. In 2017, the Program was expanded to include other types of roadways that may be undergrounded for reliability purposes, such as at freeway crossings or areas subject to wildfire threat.
The Program provides many benefits to residents, schools, and businesses including enhanced electric service reliability for customers served by the new underground facilities, upgraded street lighting for improved roadway visibility, as well as aesthetic Proposed Five-Year Underground Conversion Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26 July 22, 2025
improvements along Anaheim's roadways. The Program targets approximately 240 circuit miles throughout the City. A circuit mile is the length of a set of high voltage wires carrying electricity. Through Fiscal Year 2024/25, APU has completed undergrounding 140 circuit miles, or 58% of the planned overhead circuits.
Underground Districts (Districts) are established by resolution of the City Council, which requires telecommunication companies to underground or remove their overhead facilities within the District’s boundary. In October 2024, City Council adopted an ordinance requiring telecommunication companies to remove their overhead lines within twelve months of the civil construction being complete or face escalating fines, which has improved the responsiveness of telecommunication companies.
Selection Process
At the Subcommittee meeting on February 26, 2025, six candidate projects were evaluated:
The Subcommittee recommended adding the Nohl Ranch/Nohl Canyon project in District 6 to the Proposed Plan based on the available funding and proximity of the power lines to the wildfire threat zones that may expand in the future.
Progress Update
The following projects have been substantially completed:
Dale: A Notice of Violation (NOV) was issued to remaining telecommunication companies on December 17, 2024. AT&T and Charter completed their removals in April 2025, and the remaining poles have been removed. The project is now complete.
Sycamore: A Notice of Violation (NOV) was issued to remaining telecommunication companies on December 17, 2024. Crown Castle and AT&T completed their removals in March and April 2025, respectively, and the remaining poles have been removed. APU is coordinating with the Public Works Department who has a broader street improvement project in the area.
District Location Estimated Cost
1 Gilbert St. from La Palma Ave. to south of Crescent
Ave. $12.5M
2 Muller St. and Crescent Way, north of Lincoln Ave. $10.0M 3 Santa Ana St. from 5 Freeway to Harbor Blvd. $15.0M
4 Ball Rd. from Anaheim Blvd. to State College Blvd. $13.0M 5 Romneya Dr. from East St. to State College Blvd. $8.5M 6 Nohl Ranch Rd. from Black Oak Rd. to Villa Real Dr.
and Nohl Canyon Rd. from Nohl Ranch Rd. to Santa
Ana Canyon Rd.
$7.7M
Proposed Five-Year Underground Conversion Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26 July 22, 2025
Orangewood: A Notice of Violation (NOV) was issued to remaining telecommunication companies on December 17, 2024. Charter completed their removals in February 2025. Crown Castle completed their removals on June 20, 2025, but exceeded the NOV’s Correction Date of June 17, 2025. Anaheim Code Enforcement Division issued a Notice of Civil Citation to Crown Castle on June 19, 2025, pursuant to Anaheim Municipal Code (AMC) 17.24. Remaining utility poles are in the process of being removed.
Santa Ana Canyon: A Notice of Violation (NOV) was issued to remaining telecommunication companies on December 17, 2024. Verizon, AT&T and Extenet completed their removals in December 2024, April 2025, and June 2025 respectively. Utility poles have been removed along the north side of Santa Ana Canyon Road, and the remaining poles along the south side of Santa Ana Canyon Road are in the process of being removed.
Active Projects:
Beach (In Construction): The undergrounding on Beach Boulevard, from south of Ball Road to north of Lincoln Avenue, is currently under construction. The undergrounding is being coordinated with Southern California Edison (SCE) and affected telecommunication companies for joint trenching. Construction began in October 2023, and the scope of work for both the City and SCE are estimated to be completed by Winter 2025. Telecommunication companies are expected to remove their overhead facilities by Summer 2026.
Cerritos / Nutwood (In Construction): Underground construction on Cerritos Avenue from Nutwood Street to Euclid Street, and on Nutwood Street from Katella Avenue to Ball Road is currently in progress. Construction started in May 2024 and is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2026. Telecommunication companies are expected to remove their overhead facilities by Summer 2026. Wildfire Mitigation Underground in Fire Threat Zone (In Construction): The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved additional grant funding to proceed with the undergrounding of seven remaining segments of overhead lines that are located within/adjacent to the various Fire Threat Zones as identified under APU’s current Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Construction is underway and is estimated to be completed by Winter 2026. Telecommunication companies are expected to remove their overhead facilities by early 2027. Olive / Vermont (In Design): Undergrounding on Olive Street from South Street to Vermont Avenue; Vermont, from Anaheim Boulevard to State College Boulevard; and South Street from Anaheim Boulevard to Olive Street is currently in design that includes two railroad crossings. The schedule for the start of construction is Spring 2026 and APU’s scope of work is estimated for completion in Winter 2028. La Palma / East (In Design): The project is along La Palma Avenue from East Street to State College Boulevard and is currently in design. Construction is scheduled to start in Spring 2027 and APU’s scope of work is estimated for completion in Winter 2028.
The balance of projects in the Proposed Plan are in various stages of planning.
Proposed Five-Year Underground Conversion Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26 July 22, 2025
In an effort to underground additional major corridors with SCE-owned overhead facilities, APU has sought multiple grant opportunities, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) through the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, under which projects on East Street from the north city limit to Ball Road, and on Ball Road from the west city limit to Euclid Street were submitted in two separate rounds, but were not successful. APU is also evaluating potential funding through the California Proposition 4 Climate Bond Measure.
The Underground Conversion Program Five-Year Plan supports multiple goals in the 2024-25 Strategic Plan. These include Goal A – Maintain Fiscal Responsibility, Strategy 2 - Continue proactive pursuit of state and federal grant funds, Goal C – Invest in Infrastructure and Amenities, Strategy 4 - Improve, enhance, beautify, and maintain major street corridors, Strategy 7 – Seek opportunities to underground SCE lines along major corridors, and Goal E – Support Public Safety, Strategy 5 – Assess the City’s emergency preparedness capabilities, resources, and tools, and implement changes as needed to ensure the City is properly positioned to respond to disasters.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
There is no budgetary impact as a result of approving the Proposed Plan. Funds for individual projects are subject to City Council approval of construction bid awards.
Respectfully submitted,
Dukku Lee
Public Utilities General Manager
Attachments:
1. Proposed Five-Year Underground Conversion Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26 Projects List
2. Proposed Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26