Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, our teams work outdoors to complete essential safety measures, such as the pruning of trees and removal of brush around power lines.
California law requires electric utility companies to maintain specific clearances between vegetation and electric equipment. Inspecting, trimming and clearing brush near power lines is necessary to prevent unsafe conditions and maintain reliable service.
The proper trimming of these trees not only preserves their health, but it also removes electric shock hazard, reduces the risk of fire and helps prevent power outages.
Tree Safety Services
We work year-round with qualified personnel for the successful management of approximately 460,000 trees. These crews, comprised of certified arborists and other vegetation management professionals: Inspect trees and vegetation, prune and remove hazardous vegetation, clear brush around power poles and transmission towers and perform quality assurance audits of work performance and compliance.
In addition to the physical labor, outreach, such as going into schools and communities to host tree planting events, remains an integral part of what our teams do. To honor our efforts, The Arbor Day Foundation® has recognized our company as a “Tree Line USA® Utility” every year since 2002.
Utility companies that successfully utilize best practices in tree care, worker training and public education receive this prestigious recognition.
Don’t Prune on Your Own
Any pruning of trees within 10 feet of power lines requires the involvement of a line-certified arborist. If you recognize a tree near a power line needs pruning, never attempt to do the work yourself! Instead, contact us at 1-800-411-7343, and we will send a professionally trained crew member to perform the job.
If a tree poses a hazard, we’ll prune it on a priority basis, within 24 hours or a few weeks, depending on how severe the threat. To discover when crews will be working in your area, please use our Vegetation Management Area map at sdge.com/tree-safety.
Tree Planting Guide
We understand that customers would like to plant trees on their property for many environmental and aesthetic purposes. By planting the “right tree in the right place,” you can help prevent fires, electric shock hazards and power outages. When considering what tree to grow, please follow these guidelines.
By following these safety tips, you can contribute to the safety of your family, your home and your community while minimizing the risk of electrical hazards.
Our company and its dedicated crew members strongly believe in vegetation management and its role in fire prevention. We will continue to develop and implement new techniques and leading-edge technology to protect and serve the residents within our service area.