PG&E prepares for winter storms by trimming trees in Alta

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is working to prevent tree-caused power outages in Placer County. In Alta, PG&E will be conducting specialized reliability work on nearly 50 trees that pose a safety and reliability hazard along an approximately one mile stretch of high-voltage, overhead power lines. Contract tree crews are working along portions of Alta Powerhouse Road, as well as Rail Fence Road, Alta Bonny Nook Road, and Nary Red Road. Work on the project is expected to finish by Friday.PG&E used historical data on tree-related power outages in the area to develop a targeted outage reduction strategy. Property owners have been notified of the work by personal contact (when possible) and door hangers. The targeted trees, mostly black oaks and pines, have shown historically to be safety and reliability threats to power lines because their height and heavy upper branches can break off during heavy winter storms. Statistics show more than 90 percent of tree-caused outages are caused by healthy trees and branches. When trees or limbs fall into lines, electricity is cut off until the debris is removed and damage is repaired. By taking action and pruning branches above high voltage lines, PG&E hopes to reduce power outages in the area.PG&E operates nearly 111,000 miles of distribution lines and nearly 18,500 miles of transmission lines. These high-voltage power lines are patrolled and trimmed annually to help ensure safe and reliable electric service, and to reduce the risks of fire. PG&E works approximately 1.5 million trees per year to prevent trees from growing or falling into power lines. "With customers being our number one priority we hope this proactive approach will reduce tree caused outages by more then 50 percent over the next five years," said Nelsen Money, supervising manager of PG&E's vegetation management program in the company's Sierra division. "We want to make sure we are delivering safe and reliable power to our customers in Placer County, as well as our entire system."PG&E offers the following safety tips for trees: · Never attempt to prune trees near power lines yourself. Only line clearance qualified personnel should work within 10 feet of high-voltage power lines. · Do not allow children to climb trees growing near power lines. Never build tree houses in trees growing near power lines. · Plant the right tree in the right place. Make sure the mature tree height is at least 10 feet away from power lines. No trees should be planted within 10 feet of a power pole. If you believe that a tree poses a danger to a high-voltage power line (those lines near the top of the pole), please call 1.800.PGE.5000 to arrange an inspection. For more information about our vegetation management program and to learn more about planting the right tree in the right place, please visit