Electrolinking is a promising means for enhancing coal permeability along one or more narrow linkage channels prior to underground gasification. This linking technique may be particularly advantageous for UCG at great depths where other linking methods may be ineffective or uneconomic. A mathematical model is developed for the initial stages of electrolinking during which the number and size of the electrolink channels are determined. The propensity for electrolinking to channel is shown to arise from the inherent instability of the radically expanding carbonization front. Limited laboratory and field test studies are shown to support the model predictions. A method for improving the reliability of electrolinking and the subsequent resource recovery during gasification is suggested based on the model predictions.