English (United States)
Trees offer beauty, shade and cleaner air, but when they grow too close to power lines, they can cause outages and serious safety hazards. Trees are the leading cause of power interruptions, whether branches fall during storms or slowly grow into lines. They can also be dangerous for children or homeowners attempting DIY trimming, since branches touching lines may become energized.
When planting, choose species that stay below 20 feet tall, such as crabapples, dogwood, hawthorn, or smaller maples. Taller trees—like oaks, blue spruce, silver maples and most pines—should be planted at least 60 feet from lines. And before any digging project, call 811 to locate underground utilities.
