Vegetation Management

SVEC utilizes herbicides to selectively treat unwanted vegetation in our rights of way.

Herbicides are:

• Applied post-trimming to lessen stem count of woody species
• Applied to help ensure safety, service reliability, and easement access
• Registered and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency
• Applied by licensed personnel

SVEC’s operations department supports the philosophy of “the right tree in the right place” as a means of promoting tree species that are more “friendly” to power lines. This would include trees that:

• Don’t get tall enough to come in contact with power lines
• Are native to the area
• Have good longevity

SVEC continually patrols its lines for hazardous or “danger trees”: trees that impose an imminent threat to infrastructure.

• Due to lightning, standing water, and disease, dead trees are common and are a safety hazard to the general public because of falling potential onto roadways and power lines
• SVEC may remove green trees as well that are directly under or so close to power lines that they require drastic measures to prune

• Trees should be pruned before they actually touch power lines
• Enough clearance needs be achieved to ensure trees and limbs do not come in contact with the power line before the next trimming cycle (once every 3 to 5 years)

Safety and service reliability are the 2 most important and necessary reasons for trimming trees near power lines.

Safety

Trimming trees on a consistent cycle is necessary for safety as it prevents unwanted contact between tree limbs and lines.

Service Reliability

Additionally, safety, as it relates to clearance, is directly related to service reliability. Because we live in an area where inclement weather is common, it’s that much more important that we maintain clearance. During storms and high winds, trees and limbs can sway and make contact with power lines, ultimately causing service interruptions or prolonged outages.