Providing safe, reliable, efficient service to our members is what our cooperative is all about. We strive to keep the co-op’s power lines clear in right-of-way (ROW) areas. A ROW area is the land a co-op uses to construct, maintain, replace or repair underground and overhead power lines. This ROW enables Access Energy Cooperative to provide clearance from trees and other obstructions that could hinder distribution power lines. The overall goal of our vegetation management strategy is to provide reliable power to our members while maintaining the beauty of our area. While trees provide shade and add beauty to our area, overgrown vegetation can account for significant outages on an electrical system if not kept in control.

Modernizing Vegetation Management

Generally speaking, healthy trees don’t fall on power lines, and clear lines don’t cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keep lines clear to improve power reliability. Traditional vegetation management is costly and time consuming. It entails on-the-ground, labor-intensive efforts involving dozens of workers assessing vegetation and overseeing the quality and completion of contractor work. Although this approach has worked for decades, advances and improvements in technology have allowed us to reduce our costs and improve efficiency.

Drones are able to capture images of power lines and vegetation so we can accurately monitor the health of trees and pinpoint problems along the lines. Drone data will be incorporated into our maintenance and inspection programs in the future.

Vegetation management is an essential tool in ensuring power reliability and minimizing the risk of outages. As advancements become more accessible and costs drop, we anticipate using additional technologies to ensure a consistent energy supply while managing the environment.  If we are going to be cutting vegetation or spraying for brush control, we will be sending you a postcard or email notification in advance.