Line Clearing

Vegetation Management

Trees provide a wide range of benefits for people and are equally important for wildlife and the environment. But they are also a leading cause of power outages, particularly during storms and especially if they are close to our power lines.

As part of our commitment to provide the safest and most reliable power possible, we perform year-round tree trimming to help keep our power lines clear, ensure public safety and prevent power outages.

Planting and safety guidance for property owners

Planting the right tree in the right place helps reduce tree-caused power outages and improves power reliability for everyone.

There are a number of things to keep in mind when planting near power lines:

Plant the right tree in the right place and avoid planting trees near power lines when possible.
Click here for a list of recommended tree and shrub species for planting near power lines.
If you are planting trees, call 811 at least three business days before digging to make sure the area is checked for underground utilities, including underground power lines. Tall-growing trees should be planted at least 50 feet from power lines.
Don’t plant anything near neighborhood transformers.
Leave tree pruning work near power lines to our qualified professionals. Contact with power lines can cause serious injury or death and electricity can “flash over” if someone gets too close.
If you see our crews out working, please keep a safe distance.
We don’t prune or remove trees beneath the service wire between your house and our utility poles. But we can de-energize the wire and lower it to the ground for work to be done. Call us at 1-800-342-5775 at least five business days in advance of the work.

How We Keep Power Lines Clear

We maintain vegetation along two types of power lines – transmission and distribution – and our approach to them differs.

Distribution Power Lines

These are the power lines that deliver power from substations to homes and businesses and what you would typically see in your neighborhood. We maintain approximately 28,000 miles of overhead distribution lines across 29 counties in Pennsylvania.

Our International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)-certified team of foresters work with qualified tree contractors to do cyclical tree trimming work that includes:

Assessment of tree species, growth rates, position of the power lines and the time since work was last done on that particular tree or vegetation.
Directional pruning, an industry best practice that encourages trees to grow away from power lines.

Overhead Power Distribution Lines – PPL Electric Utilities maintains vegetation near these pole-to-pole distribution wires and performs routine maintenance year-round and on a cyclical basis. Remember to maintain 10 feet of clearance from power lines and contact us at 1-800-342-5775 if you experience a power outage, a downed wire or any arcing or sparking on those lines. If you plan to do any type of work near those lines, please contact us to submit an order so that we can evaluate the area to make sure it is safe. REMEMBER: Keep trees and woody vegetation from growing into our electric lines by positioning them outside of the right-of-way. This helps prevent outages from trees inside of our right-of-way
Service Lines – These lines carry electricity from PPL Electric’s poles to your building. PPL Electric does not trim trees near this wire. It is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain the area between the pole and the house and is responsible for any tree trimming work that takes place in that area. Call PPL Electric at 1-800-342-5775 before pruning or removing trees around the service wire that is between your house and the pole. While we don’t prune these locations, we will de-energize your service wire so you can safely do the work.
Communication lines – PPL Electric does not maintain these lines. If tree growth and vegetation are affecting these lines, please contact your local cable or telephone company.

Transmission

Transmission lines deliver high-voltage electricity from power plants to the lower voltage distribution system, which powers local communities, homes and businesses. We maintain approximately 5,000 miles of transmission lines.

PPL Electric’s transmission power line rights of way are managed using integrated vegetation management to promote low-growing and compatible vegetation that is suitable for power distribution and also benefits wildlife habitats.

Our vegetation management practices include a wire zone and border zone approach, which minimizes vegetation threats to the system.

At times, we identify hazard trees outside of our right of way that may potentially cause power outages. In those cases, we work with property owners in advance of any work we plan to address those trees.

Learn more here from our transmission line vegetation management fact sheet.

Environmental Commitment/Herbicide Use

We work with conservation, land management and environmental groups on both the state and federal levels to advance common goals associated with electric reliability and environmental stewardship.
We use integrated vegetation management practices that, over time, reduce the need for herbicides, promote healthy ecosystems and provide measurable results.
The use of herbicides is an important part of our work that keeps electric service reliable. Our team of certified professionals uses herbicides that are certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and applied under a state-permitted process established and overseen by multiple state agencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who oversees your tree trimming work?
We have expert foresters on staff and work with certified arborists to thoughtfully prune and remove trees along our power lines and high-voltage power corridors.

What is a "hazard tree?"
Hazard trees pose a threat to our power lines and equipment because they are dead or in poor health.

What should I plant near power lines?
Plant the right tree in the right place and avoid planting trees near power lines. Tall-growing trees should be planted at least 50 feet from power lines. And don't plant anything near neighborhood transformers.

Does PPL clean up after tree trimming?
During maintenance work, larger wood is generally cut into handling lengths and left at the base of the tree for the property owner's use. Where possible in more rural areas, tree crews will pile pruning debris to create cover for wildlife. Larger limb wood will be separated and left for property owner use. When work is done on local distribution facilities, tree crews typically chip and remove smaller limbs and branches.

During power restoration when a tree causes an outage, all wood and debris is left on site because it is critical for our crews to continue to move on to the next repair to aid in further restoration.

Does PPL use herbicides?
Herbicides are part of our overall program to effectively manage vegetation conditions along our power lines. We are committed to managing vegetation in ways that will have a minimal impact on our environment. Our team of certified professionals uses herbicides that are certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and applied under a state-permitted process established and overseen by multiple state agencies.

Does PPL leave the wood/wood chips?
When work is done on local distribution facilities during our normal maintenance program, tree crews typically chip and remove smaller limbs and branches. During storm restoration and tree caused outages all tree debris is left on site.

Can PPL recommend trees for planting around power lines?
If you plan to plant a new tree, or replace an existing tree, please pay close attention to what type of tree you plant and where. When choosing a spot to plant your tree, make sure it will have plenty of room to grow to full maturity.

Does PPL notify property owners before doing this work?
Whenever vegetation work is planned along transmission or distribution lines, we notify property owners near the planned work in advance and provide contact information should the property owner have additional questions. If you have any questions about our approach, you can call PPL at 1-800-DIAL-PPL

Why do trees look the way they do after trimming work?
Tree trimming varies based on the type of facilities, tree species and growth rates, proximity of the trees to the power lines, and recent power outages on the line. On the distribution system that delivers power to your neighborhood, contractors use a technique known as directional pruning, which is widely accepted in the industry as the best practice. This technique removes only those branches growing toward the power lines. With directional pruning, entire branches under, over or beside power lines will be pruned back to the main stem of the tree or to another large branch. Remaining branches are left to grow naturally, providing more of the tree's natural shape.

Does PPL have the right to trim or remove my trees?
PPL's work is regulated by federal and state agencies, and we are obligated to maintain the utility rights of way, which includes tree trimming, for public safety and electric reliability. On rights of way, PPL Electric Utilities has the right to perform vegetation work, which takes into account written agreements with property owners.

Do you have questions?

We're happy to discuss our program. If you have any questions, contact us at 1-800-342-5775.