Branching Out

NorthWestern takes a strategic approach to vegetation management for a resilient energy infrastructure.

Electricity and natural gas power our daily lives, but ensuring a safe and reliable energy supply requires diligent management of vegetation near power lines and infrastructure.

Since joining NorthWestern Energy as Vegetation Management Coordinator in 2016, Zach Miller has dedicated himself to vegetation management across South Dakota and Nebraska. His extensive knowledge of arboriculture plays a pivotal role in maintaining a safe and reliable power distribution system.

Embracing a proactive approach, Zach and his team prioritize regular tree trimming and maintenance to minimize service disruptions caused by tree-related incidents.

“We’re mainly trimming to help prevent trees from growing into power lines and identifying trees or parts of trees that could potentially fall onto the lines,” Zach said.

Despite occasional tree-related outages due to weather, Zach’s proactive approach helps identify potential risks beforehand, reducing the likelihood of outages caused by trees.

“We’ve established a cycle for our vegetation management system. We start with a substation and work through all the circuits connected to it to ensure nothing is missed,” he said.

With a comprehensive system in place, maintenance activities operate on a seven-year cycle, with inspections conducted every 18 months.

This approach follows a systematic cycle, focusing on specific areas and substations, ensuring maximum coverage across service territories.

“I focus on one substation at a time to trim all the circuits connected to it,” Zach said. “While I may not complete the whole town in one year, everything is rotated through eventually.”

For instance, in some regions, such as Kimball, South Dakota, an entire town may only have two circuits from one substation, whereas in Mitchell, South Dakota, four or five distribution substations are present.

By prioritizing one substation at a time and trimming all the circuits connected to it, Zach’s team ensures that every inch of a region becomes more dependable and resilient in the face of unforeseen events.

Environmental concerns play a significant role in vegetation management. The team schedules trimming activities at appropriate times.

“We’re not going to go in there and disturb someone’s property, whether it be a farm field, their lawn, or just a regular field. We’re going to wait until the ground’s solid,” Zach said.

Zach strives to approach tree trimming as an arborist, prioritizing both the energy system requirements and the visual appeal of the tree.

The focus is on ensuring that the tree looks good after the trimming or removal process whenever possible. However, in cases where aesthetics cannot be maintained due to safety and infrastructure concerns, homeowners are informed beforehand, ensuring they have a say in the final decision.

Vegetation management goes beyond just tree trimming – managing invasive plant species is equally critical to protecting infrastructure. One significant challenge faced at gas and electric sites is the invasive species Kochia, commonly known as tumbleweed.

“What it does is it grows into our gas sites or electric sites. So it’s harder for our crews to get in there and do what they need to do safely,” Zach said.

The plant’s ability to die and blow into equipment exacerbates the problem.

In Nebraska, our focus is on controlling weeds in gas sites and laydown yards. While NorthWestern Energy doesn’t work with trees in this region, preventing vegetation growth in these areas is crucial.

Zach’s arboriculture career began in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, where he immersed himself in all aspects of tree care and maintenance. His hands-on experiences in grinding stumps and climbing trees laid the foundation for his future endeavors.

Moving to Madison, Wisconsin, Zach further honed his skills by fearlessly ascending towering trees and skillfully shaping and maintaining them. His passion for working at heights cultivated his understanding of tree growth patterns and visual aesthetics when trimmed.

In 2014, Zach embraced a new challenge in energy systems agriculture, coordinating tree-trimming efforts for a northern Illinois energy company. This experience acquainted him with the unique demands and constraints of the electric and natural gas industry, making him a natural fit for NorthWestern Energy.

As an arboriculture enthusiast, he constantly seeks to enrich his understanding of trees and environmental conservation by attending conferences and staying up-to-date with industry developments.

From hands-on tree care to vegetation management, Zach’s journey has equipped him with remarkable expertise, making him an invaluable asset for NorthWestern Energy and a dedicated advocate for resilient energy infrastructure.