What To Expect
Landscaping is a great way to increase the value of your property and save energy, but trees and shrubs planted too close to power lines and other electrical equipment can create both safety and reliability concerns.
What Dakota Electric Does
Vegetation management allows us to spot potential issues ahead of time, perform line maintenance and provide safe and reliable electric service to our members. Dakota Electric maintains power line clearance by following the guidelines below.
Dakota Electric’s vegetation management process includes:
- Planned maintenance – including tree pruning or felling.
- Reactive pruning – trimming vegetation with a high or demonstrated risk of interference with lines.
- Felling trees – cutting down trees inside or outside the right of way that are discovered to be at risk of falling on or otherwise threatening power lines.
- Mowing – maintaining the floor of the right of way.
- Herbicide application – stumps cut to a height of 3 inches or less with an EPA-registered and -approved herbicide applied to control vegetation.
What You Can Do
Planting trees and landscaping is an investment. Proper planning and tree selection will protect your landscape and keep it beautiful for years to come. You can help maintain power line access and clearance by planning ahead before planting trees and shrubs. These guidelines help ensure safe and reliable service for all Dakota Electric members.
Gopher State One Call
If you are planning a landscaping project, always call 811 before you dig. State and federal laws require marking all underground utilities before any excavation. Regardless of where you are planting, call Gopher State One Call to request a locate several days before digging. Call 811 or 1-800-252-1166. Facility marks are valid for 14 calendar days.
The Right Tree
Our power provider, Great River Energy, partnered with Minnesota Power and Tree Trust to provide the informative booklet, The Right Tree: A Guide to Proper Tree Selection and Planting Near Power Lines. The guide provides resources from the University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum regarding size, location, species and care.
Be sure to consider the mature height of a tree when determining a suitable planting location. Native species have fewer insect and disease problems than non-native trees.
