Right Tree, Right Place
Properly planted trees can directly impact your energy costs. Planting the right tree in the right place can give your home cooling shade in the summer and provide warming sunlight in the winter. Conversely, improperly located trees are a leading cause of power outages. That's why our crews trim branches near power lines to ensure safe, reliable service.
Do your part by planting trees well clear of power lines. To be safe and efficient, we recommend you follow these tree-planting guidelines:
- Shrubs or smaller trees with a mature height of up to 25 feet should be 15 feet from electric lines.
- Small trees with a mature height of up to 40 feet should be 20 feet away from electric lines.
- Avoid planting large trees with a mature height of more than 40 feet within 50 feet of electric lines.
- Extreme caution should be taken to avoid both overhead and underground lines.
- Before digging, always have utilities properly located and marked for you by calling Before You Dig:
Oklahoma City Metro 840.5032
Outside Oklahoma City 800.522.6543
Arkansas 800.482.8998
Cuts That Count
In our preventive maintenance program, we partner with professional tree trimming companies to assess proper limb-cutting strategies. If trees are not pruned correctly, limbs snapped by seasonal storms can cause power loss for your neighborhood.
We strongly recommend directional and proper pruning. Directional pruning is the selective removal of branches that grow toward the power lines. Proper pruning is the method of cutting branches close to the branch base or collar. This allows the cut to callus over, reducing the risk of disease or decay. We strive to prune only the amount necessary to provide safe and reliable service until the next pruning cycle.
Contractors working with OG&E take care to use pruning methods recommended by the Tree Care Industry Association and the International Society of Arboriculture.
