Vegetation Management Program
As members are aware, Battle River Power Coop has an extensive Vegetation Management Program in place to manage trees and vegetation growing around power lines which can pose a serious safety hazard. This program helps eliminate these risks, reduce power outages, and improve power quality. Battle River Power Coop has an obligation under the Alberta Electrical Utility Code (AEUC) Fifth Edition and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group) to maintain the trees around overhead power lines to a safe distance. The code states:
Where vegetation is located near supply-line conductors, the vegetation shall be managed (for example by pruning or cutting), where practicable, accommodating the period of time represented by the vegetation control cycles to maintain the flashover distance specified in Table 35. The distance shall be applied in accordance with the conditions specified in Clause 5.2. Other field conditions can warrant consideration of an additional buffer. Where vegetation management is impracticable, the conductors shall be protected as necessary to prevent damage and electrical hazards.
We appreciate your patience as there is often a varied amount of time between our consenters visit with you and the crews arriving on site to complete the work. Please call our consenters back on their cell phones if they leave you a voicemail or note on your door. They can also be called with any further questions.
Electricity can travel through the limbs of vegetation towards the ground, energizing the ground and creating a dangerous situation. Maintaining the clearances around energized power lines, structures, and equipment is important.
ONLY CERTIFIED UTILITY TREE TRIMMERS ARE ALLOWED TO WORK ON OR AROUND ENERGIZED POWER LINES.
Members can help the Coop to control the costs of vegetation management through the careful selection and planting of vegetation. For more information, view our vegetation management pamphlet.
Members are responsible for:
- Choosing vegetation that will not encroach on power equipment when mature.
- Noting the location of the outer edge of the mature vegetation; this is the drip line.
- Allow six meters of clearance from the drip line to any energized lines or structures.
- Contact the Coop to discuss options for managing vegetation growth.
- Maintaining vegetation around secondary power lines.