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B Y S TEVE DESHAZO


DIRECTOR OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT CERTIFIED ARBORIST


Between the Lines S


Spring cleaning delivers safe, reliable power


pring gives us a chance to thaw out aſt er a chilly winter. Longer daylight hours provide additional time for a little spring cleaning and yard work. But the seasonal shiſt isn’t


all good news. T e rapid change from harsh, cold air to warmer temperatures can trigger severe weather. Every spring, People’s Electric crews begin the process of treating and trimming nearly 4,000 miles of electric right of way. T ink of it as spring cleaning for power lines to protect the lines and keep power fl owing safely to your home.


Right-of-way (ROW) maintenance keeps tree limbs and other obstacles away from high-voltage power lines. It’s an important part of the service we provide to you, our members, for three reasons: safety, reliability, and cost.


Safety. Our primary concern is the safety of our workers and members. Properly maintained ROW keeps our crews safe when they are restoring service and maintaining our system. Keeping trees clear of power lines also keeps your family safe. 0782900301 From making sure a child’s tree house doesn’t hit power lines to creating a safe environment while doing yard work, a well- maintained ROW helps avoid tragedy.


Power lines are a constant part of our landscape; it’s easy to forget they are around. We work hard to keep the area around our lines clear, but we need your help. Be alert this spring. Don’t plant trees or tall vegetation under power lines, and keep an eye out for power lines when working in your yard.


2 | March 2014


Be sure and dig your hole at least 35 feet from all power lines. Remember, the small seedling you plant today could grow into a giant! If you must plant near a power line, consider planting smaller types of trees and shrubs. Before you purchase a tree, it’s a good idea to read the planting instructions to verify the tree’s mature height and width.





If you want to plant trees . . .


Reliability. If severe spring weather blows through, a well- maintained ROW leads to fewer outages and faster response time. Trees are less of a threat when properly managed. In the unfortunate event that trees do fall and interrupt your service, PEC crews are able to restore service quicker in areas that are better maintained than in areas that are heavily treed and require extensive time and manpower to fi x.


Cost. As a not-for-profi t company, PEC strives to keep costs aff ordable for you, our members. Maintaining our ROW is an important part of controlling costs. Fewer and shorter outages save money for everyone. When crews work in well-maintained areas, we can reduce risks for employees and equipment too—another way to keep costs low.


important function in energy conservation, and we strive to educate our members and manage tree growth to preserve trees a healthy distance from the power lines.





T is month marks PEC’s 14th year as a Tree Line USA designated utility as named by the Arbor Day Foundation. T e designation recognizes utilities that exercise best practices in utility arboriculture showing how trees and utilities can coexist for everyone’s benefi t.


Safety, reliability, and cost: this is why we believe in ‘spring cleaning’ for better vegetation management within our rights-of-way. If we compromise on one of these areas, it impacts the others. We recognize trees serve an


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