Sam Ariaratnam, a Fulton Schools professor of construction engineering, joins a discussion about the extremely extensive scale of plans by the major utility company Pacific Gas & Electric to put about 10,000 miles of power lines underground in northern California. Numerous engineering, economic and environmental challenges will be involved in project the company hopes to complete over 10 years — at a cost of more than $20 billion. There are debates about the benefits versus the risks of burying power lines rather than suspending the lines overhead on utility poles and towers. The project would be one of the most complex endeavors ever in underground drilling and construction, Ariaratnam says. The company touts underground power line construction as a solution that would prevent the risks of electrical system fires. (Scroll down the webpage to find this news podcast.)