Right of Way Maintenance

In the interest of protecting our members from electrical hazards and providing reliable electrical service, we conduct aggressive right of way clearing along our lines. Keeping electricity reliable and protecting the public from electrical hazards means Right-of-Way (ROW) clearing. Trees touching power lines are the most common cause of service outages and “blinks” and are dangerous.

The ROW clearing includes cutting, mowing, and spraying 15 feet from a single phase line and 20 feet from a three phase line and certain distances around buried gas pipelines and electric facilities. If you are planting a tree or installing a fence or other structure near underground utilities, please call 740-344-2102 for safe distances. The Energy Cooperative uses herbicides to remove unwanted weeds, brush, and trees from rights-of-way. This enhances wildlife habitats by promoting grasses and other ground cover that birds, deer and small animals prefer. When doing so we practice precision application and use buffer zones to provide an extra measure of precaution by avoiding gardens, flowers and other plants important to you.

Planting Guidelines

Right Tree Right Place

Trees can conduct electricity and create a safety hazard if limbs grow too close to electric lines. Power outages or flickers can occur when trees contact overhead lines. Electrical arcing from a wire to a nearby branch can cause fires. Of greatest concern is the safety risk when children climb trees near power lines. Accidental contact of electric wires with a tree limb or person around the tree could be fatal.
 

Look Up Before You Plant

At its height, a tree too close to a power line can cause power outages and potential costly trimming and maintenance problems for both you and the Cooperative. Trees growing near power lines must be pruned to maintain a safe distance from the wires. If you have trees that appear to be growing into power lines, contact us at 740-344-2102. Never prune them yourself. Our team is highly trained to safely trim trees for electric power line clearances.

Guidelines