Texas experiences vast amounts of economically and physically detrimental electrical infrastructural damage every year, due to its status as the second-most hurricane-prone state in America, with numerous severe thunderstorms and notoriously destructive tornados a year. These storms cause vast damage, especially to one of the most important components of Texas’ electrical infrastructure: its power lines. Above ground power lines are victims to falling trees, high-speed winds, hailstorms, and freezes, resulting in a record number of power outages; 264 complete blackouts between 2000 and 2023 (not counting minor outages) made Texas the leading state in power outages. Every time a blackout occurs, hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses, and schools are completely incapacitated. Low-income communities bear the brunt of this architectural flaw, as many disadvantaged families are unable to afford expensive generators. They are forced to go without light, heat, or running water for days, as their power suppliers often prioritize richer neighborhoods when beginning their repairs. Rural communities are also at a major disadvantage, as most repair services prefer to start working in more densely populated areas. Help can take weeks to reach the Texas countryside. For example, the Great Texas Freeze of 2021 resulted in power loss for almost ten million Texan residents and cost the state a staggering one billion dollars in repairs. In addition to the monetary cost, this disaster also resulted in the deaths of 246 people, around 65 percent of which were attributed to hypothermia and frostbite as a result of power-deprived heating systems. These tragic consequences undeniably show how unprotected power lines have a devastating impact on Texas as a whole, and demonstrate the costliness of their fragility.

In conclusion, Texas should adopt an undergrounding plan to bury the power lines and protect our citizens against power outages. While this cost could potentially be millions, the long term economic benefits would drastically outweigh the plan's negatives by generating millions of jobs and lowering the electric bill significantly for all Texas residents. Without pursuing action through this plan, the situation will only deteriorate and costs of electricity will only grow, appearing in the form of raised taxes. We need to solve the problem at hand, not just treat its costly effects-- the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to resolve. So please, sign this petition in order to raise support for the Texas undergrounding plan, thus creating jobs, eliminating power outages, and reducing the cost of living for all Texas residents.