Business Column: California wildfires spark debate over underground power transmission lines

November’s Camp Wildfire was California’s deadliest killing 86 people and destroying 14,000 homes along with more than 500 businesses. The financial fallout is forcing PG&E, northern California’s electric utility, to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It is a catastrophe we all hope to avoid.

The fire’s probable cause was overhead power lines coming into contact with nearby trees, which is an ongoing problem for powerlines attached to poles and metal towers. While we have located the ignition point, the problem is far greater than whether high-voltage powerlines should be above or below gr...