More than 100 double wood utility poles have come down across James Island in just five weeks, part of a push by a Charleston city councilwoman to clear out the eyesores and safety hazards that pile up when old poles are left standing next to their replacements. Dominion Energy removed 101 of them during the stretch, but another 196 are still stuck in limbo, waiting on telecommunications companies to move their equipment before crews can finish the job.
A double wood utility pole forms when a new power pole goes in next to an older one that never comes down, according to Live 5 News. City of Charleston Councilwoman Leslie Skardon started an island-wide effort to remove the extra poles, and the station reports that 21 more are ready to come down right now, with the bulk of the backlog tied up in telecom paperwork rather than Dominion's own work.
Why So Many Poles Are Still Standing
Dominion Energy replaces old poles for reasons ranging from system improvements and routine maintenance to storm or vehicle damage, and the utility says an old pole may remain in place temporarily until all telecommunication lines and equipment are relocated to the new pole. Telecommunications companies typically retain their wires on the old poles even after Dominion moves its own electric lines over, which is what creates the pileup. The company says its crews work year-round to identify and remove poles once attachments are cleared, and it plans to keep working in the James Island area over the next several weeks to take down the remaining eligible poles.
Skardon said she is in regular contact with the companies holding things up. “I follow up every two weeks. We're down to three telecommunications companies left,” she said, naming Comcast, WOW and AT&T as the ones she's tracking. She said the companies have been responsive, but she is still waiting to see the follow-through.
A Resident's Yard — and Nerves — On Hold
James Island resident Daniel Ledbetter said an old pole in his yard has delayed his construction plans, and he described the pole as cracked and seemingly unstable, as reported by Live 5 News. He said he's concerned that a major storm could expose just how structurally unsound it really is, and he's urged telecom companies to move their wires quickly so the pole can finally come down. Residents across the island face similar risks from rotting or damaged poles, which can endanger pedestrians and traffic, hurt the look of public spaces, and create liability if they cause accidents or property damage.
A Proposed Ordinance Takes Shape
Skardon said she's working with Charleston City Council to find a lasting process to prevent double wood pole issues going forward, and she plans to propose an ordinance that would set formal guidelines, along with incentives or penalties, for relocating wires and removing extra poles, as noted by Live 5 News.
Charleston has tried this kind of fix before. Under a 1996 ordinance aimed at burying power lines, only a handful of communities actually got underground lines installed, according to The Post and Courier. A newer undergrounding law is expected to simplify the process for residents who want poles removed from their yards in favor of buried lines, the paper reported.
Other cities have wrestled with the same double-pole problem. In Charlottesville, Dominion told WVTF in 2024 that it could not remove an older pole while other utilities' equipment remained attached, and the report noted that some of those double poles blocked sidewalks badly enough to make them impassable for wheelchair users, according to WVTF. Charlottesville's public works director said the city was meeting regularly with Dominion and telecom companies to build a removal plan and had directed them to keep sidewalks clear under the Americans with Disabilities Act, per the same report.
Beaufort has faced versions of this fight for two decades. The Island Packet reported that residents complained back in 2006 after smaller poles were left standing once taller metal poles went in, even though phone and cable lines were supposed to be transferred over. A separate Beaufort report found that older poles where Dominion had already removed its power lines still couldn't be taken down until every attached communications line was cleared. Minutes from a Beaufort City Council meeting on September 10, 2024, show a draft ordinance that passed its first reading; it would require companies attaching new wires to use existing poles wherever combined use is practicable, and would give entities occupying a replaced pole 90 days to transfer their equipment to the new one.
