Why We Trim Trees

Did you know trees cause the majority of power outages? Although most trees do not present a problem, some of them grow into or crowd power lines, poles, or other utility equipment and cause service issues. Unruly and overgrown trees can:

• Cause outages
• Create fire hazards
• Break off and land on power lines
• Cause lights to flicker during high winds
• Get weighed down with ice and cause issues

Proper pruning techniques are used to preserve tree health, although sometimes a tree must be removed. This is a last resort, but it can be necessary if there are:

• Fast‐growing trees directly under power lines
• Trees that are leaning into lines
• Trees that are declining, cracked, or split

Unobstructed power lines make it easier and safer for utility crews to repair or service lines.

While some power outages in the Elmhurst service area are due to tree obstruction, particularly during high windstorms, the reliability of our service is in large part thanks to our efforts to continuously inspect our lines for tree obstruction. We work closely with our friends at Asplundh to ensure our power lines remain clear of trees.