Project Groundwork: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Undergrounding Utility Lines

This repository contains the data and code used in the research article Benefits of aggressively co-undergrounding electric and broadband lines outweigh costs (Cell Reports Sustainability, 2025). The study introduces a novel data-driven cost-benefit framework and evaluates undergrounding strategies through a detailed case study in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The findings indicate that aggressively co-undergrounding electricity and broadband networks provides the highest net benefit when undergrounding is justified.

Overview

This research investigates the economic feasibility and policy implications of undergrounding electricity and broadband networks. The key objectives are:

• Developing a segment-specific cost model incorporating local factors such as soil type, density, and infrastructure conditions.
• Simulating nine undergrounding strategies varying in co-undergrounding policy (independent vs. co-undergrounding) and aggressiveness (moderate vs. aggressive conversion).
• Evaluating cost-benefit trade-offs across multiple scenarios using sensitivity analyses.
• Providing actionable insights for utility planners and policymakers in assessing infrastructure resilience.

Key Findings

• Aggressive co-undergrounding (CAA strategy) yields the highest net benefit in scenarios where undergrounding is justified.
• Independent undergrounding strategies are less cost-effective, as co-undergrounding reduces trenching costs.
• The discount rate and undergrounding effectiveness (λ) are critical parameters affecting the viability of undergrounding.
• Segment-specific cost models provide more precise cost estimates than traditional averaging methods.
• Policy support is essential as the costs are typically borne by municipalities while the benefits are widely distributed.

Methodology

The research follows a data-driven approach integrating multiple data sources, including:

• Geospatial network data from Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations (SELCO).
• Historical undergrounding cost data from Concord, MA.
• Outage statistics and economic loss models to evaluate reliability improvements.

The methodology involves:

1. Cost Modeling: Life-cycle infrastructure, environmental, and safety cost estimation using regression models.
2. Benefit Modeling: Avoided economic loss, property value increase, and enhanced service reliability assessment.
3. Simulation of Strategies: Evaluating nine undergrounding strategies over a 40-year period.
4. Sensitivity Analysis: Assessing the robustness of undergrounding effectiveness, discount rates, and conversion costs.

Repository Structure

| Directory | Description | | ————— | —————————————————————————————– | | bin/python/ | Python scripts for cost modeling, benefit analysis, and optimization. | bin/jupyter/ | Jupyter notebooks for analyzing model results and visualization. | | data/ | Contains raw and processed data including geospatial, outage, and property value datasets. | | figures/ | Visualizations and plots generated from the analysis, such as heatmaps and scatterplots. | | results/ | Output matrices, model validation results, and analysis outcomes. |

Contact

For inquiries and collaborations, contact Mahsa Arabi at marabi@umass.edu.