Right-of-Way

To keep electricity reliable and protect our members from any potential electrical hazards, we maintain the right-of-way (ROW) clearing. Trees touching power lines are the most common cause of service outages and “blinks” which can be dangerous.

ROW clearing includes cutting, mowing, and spraying 15 feet from a single-phase line and 20 feet from a three-phase line and certain distances around buried gas pipelines and electric facilities.

The Energy Cooperative uses selective herbicides to remove only unwanted weeds, brush and trees from right-of-ways. This enhances wildlife habitats by promoting grasses, low-growing shrubs, and other ground cover that birds, deer, and small animals prefer.

ROW Clean Up

We clean up maintained yards 1-3 days after trimming. Maintained yards are regularly mowed and look similar to the rest of your property.

We clean up unmaintained yards within a couple of weeks. Unmaintained yards include roadside or back of property areas that are not regularly mowed.

Our clean up consists of removing tree limbs and branches. After we leave, you may need to mow or rake leaves that flew around during the process.

See Examples

Selective Herbicides

To help ensure safe and efficient operations, The Energy Cooperative has an ongoing need to maintain areas covered by easement, right of way, lease, or other land rights documents. Low growing vegetation allows for effective patrol, quick access in the event of an emergency, and also creates a well-defined corridor, reducing the risk of potential damage from nearby excavation.

Repeated mechanical clearing / mowing is often not fully effective for long term control of invasive or undesirable vegetation. Herbicides used in conjunction with, or in place of mechanical clearing methods promote desirable plant growth. Herbicides help foster biodiversity by promoting the growth of native grasses and wildflowers. Rights-of-way maintained in an herbaceous state have a positive impact on wildlife habitat including migratory birds, butterflies, bees and mammals. Herbicides are biodegradable and can be used to target unwanted vegetation such as trees, multi-flora rose or autumn olive without harming desirable growth. Herbicide applications minimize disturbance to landowners as mechanical maintenance activities may be required less frequently. Application of Herbicides is also less intrusive to wildlife in comparison to mechanical means of maintaining rights-of-way.

The herbicides selected for use by The Energy Cooperative have been extensively tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before being approved for use. Furthermore, state agencies regulate herbicide application through the use of public notification requirements, mandated record keeping, applicator training, and certification programs.

Applications will not take place within maintained land use sites such as lawns, areas of active agriculture, pasture lands, or hay fields. Depending on the location of the rights-of-way and the surrounding land use, tractor, truck or ATV applications are used. Optimal herbicide applications are applied to the full width of the rights-of-way within one or two growing seasons after mechanical clearing. For subsequent years, spot spraying can be utilized to control undesirable vegetation and keep rights-of-way in an open meadow like condition.

Planting Guidelines

Trees can conduct electricity and create safety hazards if limbs grow too close to electric lines. Electrical arcing from a wire to a nearby branch can cause power outages, fires and other maintenance problems that can be costly.

That is why trees growing near power lines must be pruned to keep a safe distance from the wires. If you have trees growing into power lines, contact us at 740-344-2102. Our team is highly trained to safely trim trees for electric power line clearances.

View Guidelines

Trimming from the Sky

In addition to our own Right-of-Way (ROW) crews, we contract with an aerial cutting company to help us keep the power on for our electric members. Their helicopter maintains clearance from our lines in the cooperative’s rights-of-way.

Aviation trimming can reach limbs growing on overhanging power lines that our equipment cannot. It is the most cost-effective and efficient way to keep line clearance and minimize outages for our members.

Learn More

Right-of-Way

Why does The Energy Cooperative use herbicides?

What are some of the benefits to using herbicides?

Are herbicides safe?

Where and how does The Energy Cooperative apply herbicides?