[patton]

In my AO, new services and service upgrades have to be buried, by code.

But the distribution circuits are all overhead - and you should see the legacy trees that wiped them out!

Great Falls at Cherry Hill Park has a HUGE oak right across the street, landed between two houses, fortunately. Some joker pinned a sign to it, “Free Firewood, You Haul.”

I laughed. It will take a crane to get it out, and I don’t own a chainsaw with an eight-foot bar.

Further down the road, there is a 35.4 kva circuit, two levels, suspended upside down over the street.

Man. Poles sheered off and flipped over.

[PA Engineer]

In my AO, new services and service upgrades have to be buried, by code.

Yep. It was an extension to the Rural Electrification Act. I can't remember the year (kicking myself, thinking 1969), but did substantial research in the area. There were a great deal of unforeseen corrosion issues with the neutrals. Truly unforeseen.

One thing they will do that irks me is how they clear the lines. As they reenergize the distribution system, they will fry those branch circuits that still have trees on them. It is lazy. It is dangerous, but efficient. They should warn people to leave everything off and unplugged. It is going to be a mess.

People really need to sit down and play a mind game. The game is where does my power come from. I suppose the governors and mayors of Washington and Maryland have never gotten past the light switch.

My opinions is there will not be power till next week for most places. At least reliable electricity.

Lived in Gaithersburg for two years during the reign of the "Crack Mayor" of Washington. LOL.