Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact our tree management team by clicking contact tree management in the quick links below. For emergencies, please call Dakota Electric at 651-463-6201 or 1-800-430-9722 immediately.
Your Questions Answered
Dakota Electric uses herbicides to prevent stumps from hardwood trees that are cut down from sprouting new stems. Stumps will be cut to a height of 3 inches or less and an EPA-registered and -approved herbicide will be applied to control vegetation.
Dakota Electric cuts down dead trees along our electric lines that are potential hazards. We do not cut down dead trees along service drops to homes or dead trees that do not threaten our electric lines. If you have a dead tree on your property, please contact a professional tree removal service. Dakota Electric uses Carr’s Tree Service for our trimming needs.
Dakota Electric follows the University of Minnesota Extension’s guidelines when trimming oak trees. We do not trim oak trees during the infectious period, April through July, except in a storm restoration or emergency situation. For more information, visit the University of Minnesota Extension’s section on oak wilt in Minnesota.
If a tree or tree branch has fallen on an electric line, call us immediately at 651-463-6201 or 1-800-430-9722. Do not touch the branch or the electric line. If it is not an emergency, you can self-report through this website using the form on our Contact Tree Management page.
Members are notified six-to-eight weeks before Dakota Electric begins pruning or removing trees in their area. Timing for scheduled maintenance projects depend on the size of the trimming area, workload for the crew and the weather.
If you contact tree management to report a tree in the lines affecting your service, Dakota Electric will do its best to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible. Contact Tree Management for more information or to submit a request.
It is the member’s responsibility for debris clean-up after emergency service restoration, tree failure or routine trimming and vegetation maintenance. Following storms, trees and limbs may be cleared so crews can make repairs to electric service. In this case, wood, limbs and debris are all left on-site. Large wood is cut into pieces and brush is usually chipped.
