Power lines belong underground

Dan Rodricks' excellent article about burying power lines needs some expansion ("It's not astrophysics: Bury power lines," July 5). Burying power lines has been going on for a century.

One hundred years ago every major city in the country, including Baltimore, put its downtown power lines underground. In the last few decades, most planned communities, including Columbia, have put their power lines underground. Many European countries buried their power lines decades ago.

Maryland needs to develop a plan of action, starting with current road and sewer projects, to decrease the remaining overhead power lines at a reasonable cost. The issue is not whether to do it, but how and when.

William Rothstein