One of RG&E’s top priorities is making sure that our energy delivery system remains reliable. In order to avoid interruptions in your service, we clear the vegetation around more than 5,000 miles of power lines, keeping these areas free of trees and undergrowth.  

During routine, scheduled tree work in residential and landscaped areas, we chip and remove smaller branches and cut larger ones into easy-to-handle lengths to leave behind. When customers request that we clear vegetation outside our usual schedule, or we’re doing work in rural, non-landscaped areas, we will leave the cut debris behind for customer disposal.

Following a storm, our first priority is to restore the electricity delivery system as quickly and efficiently as possible, so when we have to remove vegetation to restore service, we leave trimmed materials behind for customer disposal. 

For your safety:

• Never attempt to remove tree debris when downed power lines may be entangled in the debris.
• Leave cutting and trimming of trees near power lines to professionals. A tree or limb that contacts a power line could be deadly. 
• Remind children not to climb trees near power lines.
• Avoid planting new trees under power lines. 
  
  

To learn more about our trimming methods, view our brochure on Tree and Vegetation Management (pdf).

Planting Trees
When power is interrupted during wind or ice storms, the problem is usually due to tree limbs breaking wires or causing short circuits. To minimize the chance of tree-related power interruptions it’s best to avoid planting new trees under power lines. If you have no other place for a tree and must plant near a line, there are many low-growing ornamental trees and shrubs that add beauty to your property and cause little or no interference with power lines.

For more information about planting trees, The Arbor Day Foundation is a great resource. Visit their Web site or call 1.888.448.7337.