We're currently experiencing system issues which may result in website slowness. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today.

We're currently experiencing system issues which may result in website slowness. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today.

We're currently experiencing system issues which may result in website slowness. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today.

We're currently experiencing system issues which may result in website slowness. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today.

We're currently experiencing system issues which may result in website slowness. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today.

We're currently experiencing system issues which may result in website slowness. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today.

Outage alert icon

As of: 8:37 PM, 5/30/23 Visit Outage Map

Trees and Power Lines

Tree Trimming and You


Frequently Asked Questions

icon green question mark

What to Do if a Power Line is Down


If a tree branch or entire tree falls on an electric line:

  • Call 9-1-1 first
  • Then immediately call us at 800-477-5050
  • DO NOT TOUCH THE BRANCH, TREE OR LINE

Safety Facts about Trees and Power Lines:

  • Always assume a power line is energized and dangerous.
  • Power lines are not insulated; if you touch one you will be severely injured or even killed.
  • Don’t cut down trees or branches near power lines. Leave that to our crews.
  • Don’t allow children to climb in trees near power lines.
  • When removing objects from a tree, stay clear of power lines.
  • Never let your ladder touch a power line.

Tree Health and Planting Tips


Managing Trees for Safe and Reliable Energy


Our customers depend on us to deliver safe and reliable electricity. Our expert Tree Management Team follows established forestry guidelines to ensure that trees don’t interrupt your service, using qualified line-clearance contractors to safely clear trees and vegetation that could interfere with our powerlines.

When trimming trees and managing vegetation, we follow clearance standards that vary based on the voltage of nearby electric lines. Many factors influence the decision to trim or cut trees, such as species, location, and health of the tree. Sometimes trees within the utility right-of-way easement, or growing close to it, will need to be removed to ensure safe and reliable service.


What Will We Repair? What is the Homeowners Responsibility?

green icon down wire

What to Expect When We Trim Trees


  • A Forestry Planner marks trees or brush that need maintenance.

    • Trees to be trimmed are marked with a blue dot.

    • Trees to be cut down are marked with a blue X.  If outside the easement they will be marked with a blue A.

    • Brush to be cleared may be marked with a blue slash ( / ).

  • We assign qualified tree-trimming contractors.

  • Here’s how we handle clean-up.

    • On lawns brush is usually chipped. Larger wood is cut into pieces and left onsite.

    • In unmaintained areas brush is either piled in windrows (creating habitat for wildlife and suppressing future tree growth) or mulched and scattered within the easement area.

    • If trees are cut down, stumps are cut as close to the ground as possible and treated with a herbicide to prevent regrowth.

    • Following storms, trees and limbs may be cleared so crews can make repairs to electric service. In this case wood, limbs and debris are all left on-site.

Other Ways We Manage Vegetation


We use different techniques to manage vegetation along powerlines and pipelines. We may use several of the methods below to manage the vegetation on or near your property.

Manual Cutting:  A tree crew using a bucket truck and chainsaws.

Mechanical Cutting: Larger mower with mulching heads or off-road vehicles with saws mounted on aerial booms.

Herbicide Applications: Used to prevent stumps from sprouting new growth, or to control brush growth in the right-of-way. When using herbicide, we use selective methods that target trees and brush.

Cultural Controls: We sometimes lease property we own to farmers for agricultural production. When a farmer grows a crop on our land it is a win-win - they produce a crop and keep trees and brush from growing at the same time.


Frequently Asked Questions


Contact Our Tree Management Team


This is only to add JS for CE Form controls