Trees are often the favorite aspect of a landscape, and everyone appreciates the beauty, value, and shade that a tree provides. Overgrown trees and vegetation under overhead power lines or near poles and other utility equipment threaten reliability and safety and increases wildfire risk. That is why United Power invests time and resources into regular tree trimming and removal operations in utility rights-of-way.

What Are Utility Rights-of-Way?

Utility rights-of-way areas designate access for utilities and must be kept clear so that crews are able to access equipment for maintenance and repair. United Power maintains a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side of utility equipment within the right-of-way and trims or removes vegetation growing under power lines.

Utility rights-of-way may cross a member’s property and United Power is obligated to keep these areas clear of any vegetation blocking equipment and potentially causing a threat to safety or reliability. Vegetation around electrical equipment that cannot be trimmed safely may need to be removed entirely, especially if it could damage or compromise equipment.

Why Does United Power Trim or Remove Trees?

• Prevent outages. Trees that grow too closely to power lines or that become damaged during storms pose a risk to United Power equipment and could result in an outage.
• Access equipment. Crews need to access equipment quickly and easily for maintenance or for outage restoration. Overgrowth can cause delays and prolong outages.
• Mitigate wildfire risks. “Hazard trees” and other excess vegetation that could potentially contact utility equipment increases the risk of wildfires. United Power dedicates significant resources to reducing the threat of fires and keeping the community safe.

How and When Does United Power Trim or Remove Trees?

• United Power uses experienced tree trimming contractors to remove vegetation near high-voltage electric equipment.
• Artificial intelligence programs help the cooperative create vegetation management plans and track projects.
• Densely forested parts of the territory and areas where overgrowth is more prevalent are prioritized in vegetation management cycles.
• Crews will trim around equipment when it is safe to do so, but they may have to remove any vegetation that could compromise equipment when trimming is not sufficient.
• Members are contacted in advance when tree trimming projects are planned in their area.

United Power urges members to contact the cooperative when they recognize trees that are growing into power lines or when overgrowth is encroaching on electrical equipment. Members should also observe the 10-Foot Rule when implementing home beautification projects around equipment located on their property. Learn more about United Power’s vegetation management and fire mitigation plan on the co-op’s website.