When you look and see high-voltage transmission and distribution lines standing tall across the horizon, you will also notice that the trees and foliage are far away. Wildlife doesn’t naturally avoid the power distribution system, so why is it so clean? Our vegetation management team works hard to maintain 20 ft. of space on all sides to allow our lines to breathe.
Why do we keep this distance? Safety and reliability! Our goal here at SEIREMC is to safely provide reliable electricity to our members. When nature tries to reclaim our lines, they become a hazard to everyone. That is why having a vegetation management program on a five-year cycle is important. Our members rely on electricity, and we must meet their expectations to the best of our ability.
If trees fall on our lines, it causes unstable electric service, directly impacting costs and reliability. Our efforts keep trees away from our electric and fiber lines. Tree trimming, mowing, and spraying ultimately create savings for our members in the long run. Emergency or unplanned outages are costly, and the price of operations and repairs increases every year.
Vegetation management reduces outages and helps keep rates stable. So, when you see our crews clearing areas where our lines may be compromised, you know what they are doing! To ensure the reliability of your electric service our team uses several methods including spraying around the poles, pruning trees and shrubs, and helicopter tree trimming for those hard-to-reach places!
Our team constantly looks for ways to improve our methods and is always willing to help where you need it! If you are concerned about a tree or plant growth around a line, please call us today at 800-737-4111.
