PEC Vegetation Maintenance Promotes Preparation, Conservation
While PEC’s mission is to keep your electric service reliable, we also work hard to keep the Texas Hill Country beautiful and protect its native plants and trees. That’s why our vegetation maintenance team works year-round to ensure our power lines stay free of tree limbs and our easements stay beautiful.
Tree trimming
One way we protect your service is by directionally pruning our native trees. This technique ensures the trees stay healthy as they grow while reducing the likelihood of tree-to-line contact.
“Along with the general well-being of the Hill Country landscape, this offers the best possibility for safe and reliable power delivery,” Vegetation Maintenance Manager Ryan Krause said. “Removing incompatible vegetation allows for better line-of-sight and access for our lineworkers while significantly reducing fire threat.”
Our tree-trimming program is data-driven with the use of LiDAR technology to ensure we’re prioritizing the areas that need attention most.
Our crews also reduce stem count (small vegetation) to limit future maintenance. Trimming work is scheduled year-round, adhering to Texas A&M Forest Service and ANSI A300 standards. Members may be notified through letters, emails, calls, and door notices ahead of time, and we are available to address any specific concerns.
LiDAR technology
Since 2021, we have been using LiDAR — a laser-based, remote-sensing technology — to measure distances and identify vegetation risks. It has helped improve our planning, minimize member disruptions, and enhance our efficiency.
“These spans are categorized and prioritized based upon severity, affected members, and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas,” Krause said.
The use of this technology has been beneficial to members, as it has lessened notification and access burdens while allowing crews to quickly resolve potential vegetation issues.
Easements
Another area of focus is our easements. These are the grassy, open spaces under our power lines. Keeping them maintained grants easy access to infrastructure for our lineworkers and provides a staging space for emergency personnel when needed. Crews prioritize mowing for easements near subdivisions while using herbicides elsewhere to control invasive species and encourage native plant growth.
Mowing is performed on a case-by-case basis. In easements adjacent to subdivisions, our ultimate goal would be to prepare the land for native grass and wildflowers to grow. Crews usually don’t mow easements with compatible vegetation unless absolutely necessary to prevent the disruption of native species’ habitats.
“We understand that what may look like an ugly bush to some, other species call it home,” Krause said.
Our vegetation maintenance practices benefit every member and native species in our 8,100-square-mile plot of the Texas Hill Country. With conservation and preparation, we are able to keep your lights on and our wildlife thriving. Learn more about our vegetation practices at myPEC.com/vegetation.
