Right-of-Way Maintenance

Rights-of-Way Maintenance: Keeping Power Lines Safe and Reliable

Trees play an important role in our environment. They provide oxygen, offer shade, create habitats for wildlife, and give children a place to play. However, when trees grow near power lines, they can pose serious safety risks and affect the reliability of your electric service.

At Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, maintaining clear rights-of-way around power lines is a critical part of our commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity.

Why Right-of-Way Maintenance Matters

We maintain an ongoing right-of-way program for three key reasons:

Safety

Trees near power lines present significant hazards. If a tree contacts high-voltage lines under the right conditions, it can become a conductor, potentially carrying dangerous electricity that could harm your family or pets. By maintaining a clear right-of-way, we reduce the risk of such accidents.

System Reliability

Approximately 40% of power outages on our system are caused by trees and vegetation coming into contact with power lines. These outages can be costly and inconvenient, and because our distribution lines serve a large area, a problem on your property can affect hundreds or even thousands of members.

Economic Responsibility

Our right-of-way maintenance program also plays a role in managing costs. By investing in tree trimming and vegetation control, we reduce line-loss and minimize outage-related expenses, which helps keep rates affordable for all our members.

PVEC’s Right-of-Way Maintenance Program

To ensure safety and service reliability, PVEC has a comprehensive program in place to manage vegetation near power lines. Our trained tree trimmers work in your area every other year to maintain the right-of-way, keeping power lines clear and following National Electric Safety Code (NESC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.

  • Transmission Lines: 100 feet clearance (lines greater than 26 kV)
  • Primary Distribution Lines: 40 feet clearance (lines with voltages of 7.2 kV to 26 kV)

Removing Brush

We also manage brush growth under power lines by using EPA-approved herbicides. These herbicides target woody vegetation while allowing natural grasses to grow. This helps maintain a clear path for our power lines and reduces the risk of service interruptions caused by overgrown vegetation.

Planting Near Power Lines

If you're planning to plant trees near power lines, it's essential to consider the tree’s full-grown size. The dripline (the outermost reach of the tree's branches) should be at least 20 feet away from power lines to avoid interference. Also, ensure that utility meters remain accessible to PVEC employees for routine inspections and maintenance.

Opt-Out Policy

PVEC offers a right-of-way opt-out policy for property owners. If you have concerns or prefer not to have herbicide spraying on your property, please contact us to learn more about the opt-out process.

Opt-Out Policy

POLICY NO. 100 – 6 A

Powell Valley Electric Cooperative

1. OBJECTIVE

To provide a means by which to accommodate those members objecting to the Cooperative’s use of herbicides on the Cooperative’s Rights-of-Way crossing their lands.

II. GENERAL

The Cooperative owns approximately 3,500 hundred miles of primary distribution and transmission lines serving approximately 1,100 square miles of service area. Its preferred means of keeping its rights-of-way clear includes the application of herbicides. Some members object to the use of herbicides and it is the purpose of this policy to provide them with an alternative, by which (subject to the terms of this policy) the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) may restrict the Cooperative’s use of herbicides on a designated portion or all of the Cooperative’s rights-of-way crossing the Landowner’s property for a given period of time. This alternative policy is called “opt-out”.

III. NOTIFICATION

  • The Cooperative should make a reasonable effort to notify members with active
    accounts by:

    1. Publishing a general advance notice in the Cooperative’s Tennessee and Virginia Magazines; and
    2. Printing a specific advance notice to be included with the member’s electric bill prior to beginning herbicide treatment.
    3. Website
  • The Cooperative assumes absolutely no responsibility for its failure to notify Landowner(s) of tracts of land having an active, inactive, or no electric account.
  • The Cooperative shall make available to the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) a list of the herbicides that it plans to use.
  • It is strictly the responsibility of those Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) wishing to opt-out to notify the Cooperative of their desire to do so.

IV. SITE IDENTIFICATION

  • A cooperative representative should meet on site with the applicable Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) (or designees) who must then physically show the Cooperative representative the specific location of all Cooperative right-of-way limits of the opt-out area. The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) must take full responsibility for the accuracy of these designated limits.
  • The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) must purchase (from the Cooperative), erect and prominently display the Cooperative required signage (facing outward from the op-out tract of land) at each location that the Cooperative’s line enters or exits the op-out area. Due to safety concerns, the signs may not be attached to Cooperative’s owned poles.
  • The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) may opt-out a portion or all of the Cooperative rights-of-way crossing the Landowner(s) property, but said area must be clearly marked with signage and shown to the Cooperative’s representative.
  • The Cooperative should employ GPS technology to define the Cooperative’s enter/exit limits of the opt-out tract and add this information to the Cooperative’s no spray maps.

V. OPT-OUT AGREEMENT

  • The Cooperative will require the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) desiring to opt-out to execute a two-calendar year term opt-out agreement.
  • The agreement must include the terms of this policy.
  • The agreements are NOT automatically renewable, but will require that new two-year agreements be executed every two years if the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) desires continued opt-out coverage.
  • The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) must certify ownership of the opt-out area. This opt-out agreement is nontransferable.
  • The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) has 75 days from the date of the initial site visit in (IV, A.) above to bring the opt-out right-of-way area into compliance with the Cooperative’s clear right-of-way standards. The Cooperative should then perform a follow-up verification right-of-way inspection. If the opt-out area fails to meet these standards, the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) may (at the sole discretion of the Cooperative) be given a small amount of additional time if special circumstances warrant such. Once this 75 day window (or extension of same) closes, the Cooperative may, at its sole discretion, cancel the applicable opt-out agreement and clear the right-of-way by whatever means (including herbicide application) it chooses, without liability or obligation to the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s).
  • The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) is prohibited from cutting any trees that have grown above any wires or have the potential of coming in contact with any wires when cut.
  • The Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) is required to indemnify and hold harmless the Cooperative, its officers, employees, and agents from and against any liability for loss of life, personal injury, or property damage and any other claims or demand, including all reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses, arising from or related to the Landowner(s)/Acting Agent(s) or designee’s maintenance efforts on the Cooperative’s rights-of-way.
  • The Cooperative’s standard right-of-way widths are 100 feet for transmission lines (lines greater than 26 kv) and 40 feet for overhead primary distribution lines (lines having voltages of 7.2 kv to 26 kv).

VI. RESPONSIBILITY

The General Manager or designee shall develop and administer this policy.