Residents can help South Central Power minimize tree-related outages and ensure the beauty of their landscapes through thoughtful planting of new trees. Trees should be planted at least as far away from the lines as the trees’ natural spread. Spreading trees, such as elms, oaks and maples, are common outage-causing culprits and should be planted at least 50 feet away from power lines.
Before planting trees on your property, the location of utility lines should be considered:
- Are lines overhead or underground?
- Never dig near underground utility lines
- Future access to these underground lines should be considered when planting