Vegetation Management
230 kV - 500 kV Transmission Lines

Transmission lines are part of the delivery system that provides all of us with reliable electricity service. It's important that these lines be kept clear of trees and other vegetation, to avoid any potential disruption of service.

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 cut power to 55 million people in eight states and Canada. A tree coming into contact with a high-voltage power line was one cause of that outage.

After the blackout, the federal government imposed strict new requirements for vegetation management along transmission lines to ensure the reliability of the nation’s electric grid. These federal requirements include mandatory “clearance” distances from vegetation, and contain stiff financial penalties if electric companies do not comply.

Because of these strict federal reliability standards, PPL Electric Utilities is changing some vegetation management practices. This will mean that trees and shrubs that we have allowed to remain directly under the lines in the past will be cut.

How we will manage vegetation

These diagrams show how we will manage vegetation along 230-kilovolt and 500-kilovolt power lines to comply with federal reliability:

PPL Electric Utilities does not remove or dispose of trees or other vegetation from our transmission rights-of-way after cutting. Any trees or other vegetation along our rights-of-way belong to the property owner.

In some areas, such as hillsides, leaving cut vegetation in rights-of-way can help guard against erosion or washout.

Also, moving or disposing of cut material would add significantly to the cost of our vegetation management work. Our operating costs are reflected in customers’ rates.

Our contractors

PPL Electric Utilities has hired two companies, Asplundh Tree Expert Company and Penn Line Service Inc., to handle vegetation management work. Both companies have well-trained employees and many years of experience maintaining power line rights-of-way for electricity delivery companies. Representatives of Asplundh and Penn Line will be in contact with property owners and residents prior to any work being done in your area.

Useful links:

• Compatible Species
  
• Frequently asked questions about PPL Electric Utilities’ vegetation program along 230- and 500-kilovolt transmission lines.
  
• North American Electric Reliability Corporation vegetation maintenance standards
  These are the federal requirements with which PPL Electric Utilities must comply.
  
• Brochure on PPL vegetation management
  This brochure summarizes PPL’s vegetation management program and philosophy, and includes much of the information on this Web page.
  
• PPL Electric Utilities' vegetation management program for smaller transmission and distribution lines.

Questions or Concerns

We will do our best to communicate with customers and residents in advance of any vegetation management work on their properties. If you have any concerns with our approach, feel free to call our Vegetation Management Line toll free at 1-877-528-2889. Or, click here to send a comment electronically to our project team.

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