You, your neighbors, and businesses – your community – depend on safe, reliable electric service. Safe and reliable electric service can sometimes be threatened by trees growing into electric lines. When electric lines come in contact with trees, problems can occur:
- Power Outages
- Fire Hazards
- Safety Hazards
A hazard tree is a live or dead tree leaning towards the power line. The final determination of a “hazard tree” will be completed by a trained HEA supervisor. Upon confirmation that the tree is a potential hazard to the power line, HEA will cut the dangerous trees that grow outside of the right-of-way at no cost to the property owner. However, once cut, it is the responsibility of the property owner for removal and disposal of all of their tree’s debris.
Look Before you Plant
Before you plant, give your new tree its best chance for a long, healthy life. Choose where you plant wisely, with careful thought for the future. Every tree has an approximate maturity height listed on it. When choosing a site for planting, think of how high your tree will grow. Will it disturb power lines? The roof of your home? Your neighbor’s yard? Is it too close to a street or driveway? A tree planted in the wrong place could mean trouble later.
A large number of outages are caused by tree limbs during storms. With careful planning, you can help us avoid some of these outages and keep your lights and appliances operating. When planting a tree near power lines, follow the distance guidelines illustrated below.
For more information on what type of vegetation you should plant to avoid interference with power lines, ask your local nursery, cooperative extension office or visit The Arbor Day Foundation website.