How to adopt best practices to improve reliability and reduce costs

BY PHILIP CHARLTON, Utility Arborist Association

Electric utilities have always faced the challenge of determining the optimum frequency of maintenance operations for the control of trees and brush growing near the electric system. Utilities must balance the cost of maintenance with the cost and impact of avoiding or deferring action.

In an effort to improve maintenance operations for controlling intrusive trees and brush growing near the power grid, among other reasons, vegetation managers representing electric utilities throughout North America, gathered in Fort Worth, Texas to determine optimum scheduling strategies through shared experiences.