It is the PUD’s responsibility to maintain our facilities so they are reliable and safe. Our tree trimming and removal program is part of this commitment to our customer-owners and employees. It is also required and regulated by state and federal law.
We trim and remove trees that interfere with transmission, primary (high voltage), and secondary (individual service) power lines within our easements and rights-of-way.
When reports of problem trees are turned in by customer-owners or PUD line inspectors, they are recorded and transmitted to the Operations and/or Engineering Departments. These departments are responsible for reviewing the report, deciding on the action required, and doing what is necessary, which may include contacting the customer-owner and reviewing the situation with them.
The work described above is planned tree maintenance. During a storm, our priorities shift. When power goes out, our first focus is getting the lights back on for as many people as possible, as quickly as we can. Crews clear what is needed to make the area safe and restore service before moving on to help the next neighborhood.