3 minute read
RIGHT OF WAY CLEARING
By Josh Filler, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer - Electric Operations
We know power outages are frustrating for our members, because you depend on the energy we provide. We also do not enjoy power outages. In fact, we work extremely hard to avoid them. Severe weather, traffic accidents and even small animals can cause power outages for our members. While we cannot prevent storms from knocking out power, we can work to prevent the most common cause for power outages - trees falling on electric lines. Our right of way team conducts aggressive tree trimming and clearing along our lines to prevent problems before they occur.
Advantages
Right of way clearing can have its advantages. Clear right of ways reduces tree related outages. It also gives easier access to cooperative personnel during outages or maintenance. The Energy Cooperative uses herbicides to eliminate unwanted shrubs and trees from the right of way. Our team applies precise amounts from a distance that will not interfere with your gardens or flowerbeds. Preventing growth in the right of way allows an unmaintained area to slowly become a habitat for wildlife such as butterflies, birds and deer.
Trees
Josh Filler
Right of Way (ROW) is the term we use to describe the land we construct, maintain, replace and repair power lines; this includes both underground and overhead wires. The right of way enables our cooperative to provide the clearance of trees and other obstructions that could hinder power line installation, maintenance or operation, wasting valuable time, energy and resources.
Right Of Way Process
The process of right of way clearing involves cutting, mowing and spraying a minimum of fifteen feet from all sides of a single-phase electric line and a minimum rounding up their bills to the next whole dollar amount each month, The Energy Cooperative's Operation Round Up Foundation has donated more than $4.1 million to community organizations.
Trees are always the number one cause of outages on our system. For this reason, we ask members to avoid planting trees under or around the ROW. While they may be well below the power lines today, they will someday grow into the power lines and need trimmed. We also ask for patience and understanding as we clear trees that are within the right of way. This maintenance is an important part of our system’s reliability.
