Something that we have been hoping for along Rhode Island Ave NE and in the surrounding neighborhoods is finally happening thanks to a bill signed by Mayor Gray that starts to allow Pepco to bury power lines throughout the City.

Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) signed legislation Monday authorizing the $1 billion plan, which will be implemented over five to seven years and funded by a new surcharge that could add several dollars a month to the average power bill. Pepco this week released the first details of which neighborhoods will be first to have their high-voltage lines known as “feeders” buried, and when.

Rhode Island Ave NE will begin to see this phase begin to start in the first and second year. This is a great opportunity for the Avenue to not only ensure that our small businesses have less power interruptions but it will enhance the aesthetics and look of the Avenue.

Monday’s bill signing was the culmination of a process that started shortly after the June 2012 “derecho” storm that knocked out power for days in many neighborhoods across the region. Gray said he wanted a “game-changer” to prevent prolonged economic losses and inconvenience from weather-related outages and appointed a blue-ribbon panel to study underground lines as a solution.

See here for a map of the phases for this project: