TREE TRIMMING

Fayette Electric Cooperative’s right-of-way program is a continuous, preventative maintenance program that involves trimming trees, removing dead and dangerous trees, and removing underbrush.  A properly maintained right-of-way helps to reduce or eliminate power outages by keeping limbs and trees away from power lines. 

Power outages caused by trees falling into power lines or electric service drops is one of the biggest problems that occurs during thunderstorms, ice storms or whenever high winds blow through the service territory. 

FEC constructs power lines to our Members on easements provided by the property owners.  The co-op’s utility easements are filed with the County Clerk to provide ingress and egress by our crews in order to maintain the power lines and to keep the right-of-ways clear of trees and brush. 

When crews clear a right-of-way, the minimum distance to cut back trees and brush is 20 feet – 10 feet on each side of single-phase lines.  A 30-foot right-of-way, 15 feet on each side, is cleared under three-phase lines.  Both procedures are standard for the industry.