Keeping Your Lights On
Your family needs a dependable source of power, so at HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative, reliable electric service is our top priority.
While we’ve always invested in maintaining our electric distribution system, in the past few years we took the first steps in a long-range plan to improve reliability by upgrading our entire system and reclaiming rights-of-way along existing lines.
This will be a long-term project, as our system includes over 2,900 miles of overhead lines; approximately 60% is at least 40 years old.
Upgrading Our System
We use several different means to identify power line circuits with more occurrences of outages and blinks, and prioritize upgrading them in each year’s workplan. In 2005 through 2007, we worked to rebuild or improve 34 circuits affecting nearly all of our member-customers. Many of you have told us you can see a difference already.
Reclaiming Rights-of-Way
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Trees and branches touching power lines are the biggest cause of outages and blinking lights. Tree and brush management along power line rights-of-way is essential to providing safe and reliable electric service. The cooperative maintains over 2,900 miles of overhead lines in 13 counties and 96 townships.
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In 2005 and 2006, we committed over $650,000 each year and cleared a total of nearly 500 miles of line.
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In 2007, we spent about $800,000 to clear about 300 miles of line.
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Our 2008 plan is to re-clear approximately 300 miles of line in the most heavily overgrown areas.
Other Preventive Measures
We have other tools to test and inspect our system for potential problems, and correct them before they lead to outages and blinks. Additional fuses and other power line protection devices help limit the number of members affected by any outage.
Tree Removal Practices
Our ability to provide reliable electric service is vital to us, along with the safety of our employees and members. In order to achieve both goals, we maintain our equipment and power line rights-of-way through a variety of tree removal practices. (click here to see photos)
Our Operations department performs routine maintenance of trees and brush on more than 2,900 miles of overhead lines. Routine right-of-way clearing activities are completed on a regular cycle of approximately every 7 years. Tree cutting or removal outside of this regularly scheduled maintenance is limited to emergencies only, or to correct a hazardous situation.
How Much Will Be Removed?
The amount of space required for overhead electric line clearance is determined by the Rural Utilities Service, based on the line’s voltage. In other words, a high-voltage transmission line can require a 100-foot right-of-way, while HomeWorks Tri-County’s 7,200 volt distribution lines require a 30-foot right-of-way. The service wire from our transformer to your home requires even less clearance.
In developed areas, a low-growing species can sometimes be cut back instead of removed. Our crews may use directional cutting methods to remove the branches growing within a certain distance of overhead lines. This allows the tree to re-grow more normally, and in the long run will help prevent pest problems and decay.
Other times it’s better to remove a tree than to prune it drastically. Not all trees are candidates for directional cutting and may require removal below the lines. Our professionally trained contractors evaluate each tree individually.
Our practice in undeveloped areas and deep right of way, away from roads and easy access to the power lines, is to remove trees completely.
Please do not attempt to cut a tree yourself if it’s under or near an overhead line.
What About Debris Removal?
During normal circuit work in developed areas – Our crews remove smaller branches and brush with a chipper. Larger limbs are cut into manageable sections and left for the member.
During normal circuit work in undeveloped areas – Right of ways are cut, mowed or wind-rowed. Larger limbs and branches are left for member disposal.
Storm-caused debris – We are not responsible for storm-damaged trees and debris. We clear hazards away from our lines to restore power, and members are responsible for clean up.
Proper Planting
You can help prevent your trees from being cut in the future, by taking into consideration the location of the tree and how large it will grow. Certain species grow too large to be planted under overhead lines, which may result in removal by our contracted tree crews.
Plant only trees with a mature height of 25’ or less in areas within 20 feet of overhead power lines. Trees that have a mature height of 40’ or less should be planted at least 20’ from power lines. Trees with a mature height of 40’ or more should be planted at least 50’ away from power lines. For more information on proper planting, visit the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Call Before You Dig
Before you dig, always call Miss Dig at 1-800-MISSDIG or 811 at least three business days before the planned work to protect yourself from harm and unnecessary expense. Utility personnel will come to your property and place flags in the ground in locations where underground wires and other utilities, such as cable, telephone, or gas lines, run. Be safe and always call before you dig. There is no charge for this service.
Tree removal Schedule
Right-of-way re-clearing along HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative power lines is scheduled this year in the counties and townships listed below.
Workers will attempt to get as many lines cleared as time permits. Other areas, where tree growth presents a problem, may be added to this list.
We will notify members if tree clearing is happening in their area by means of a postcard or phone message notification, approximately two weeks before the work begins.
2008-09 Scheduled Areas
Barry County: Castleton
Clare County: Grant, Surrey, Vernon, Village of Farwell
Eaton County: Benton, Eaton, Chester, Kalamo, Roxand, Sunfield, Vermontville
Isabella County: Coldwater, Garfield, Gilmore, Nottawa, Sherman
Mecosta County: Chippewa, Colfax, Fork, Grant, Green, Martiny, Sheridan
Osceola County: Evart, Hersey
2009-10 Scheduled Areas
Clinton County: Bengal, Dallas, Eagle, Essex, Lebanon, Riley, Watertown, Westphalia
Ionia County: Lyons, North Plains, Portland
Ingham County: Aurelius, Bunkerhill, Ingham, Leslie, Onondaga, Vevay, Stockbridge
Isabella County: Fremont, Rolland
Jackson County: Waterloo
Gratiot County: New Haven, North Shade, Seville, Sumner
Montcalm County: Belvidere, Bloomer; Crystal, Day, Douglass, Evergreen, Ferris, Home, Richland