Trees and Power Outages

Trees are one of the primary causes of electric outages. When branches grow into high-voltage lines, they become a problem waiting to happen during the next wind storm, ice storm or electrical storm. Part of our job at Oncor is to ensure electricity is delivered safely and reliably by keeping trees away from power lines. To help keep trees away from lines, the public can help by:

• Planning ahead before landscaping. Don't plant trees underneath power lines, unless they are among the approved native trees recommended by Oncor's Know Before You Grow program.
• Staying informed. Information that will help consumers learn about trees is available from Oncor. The Plan Before You Plant (.pdf) publication lists a number of small-to-medium size trees that grow well in Texas, but are not tall enough to interfere with power lines. You can download it at no cost from this web site.

One tree can affect a power line serving an entire neighborhood. That's why Oncor performs maintenance pruning on a regular basis throughout the service area. Certified arborists experienced at balancing the beauty and health of trees with electrical safety supervise tree pruning. For its work in handling tree maintenance near power lines, Oncor has received the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Line USA award five years in a row.

If trees are growing too near lines (closer than 10 feet), don't try to prune them. Stay away from line and keep all ladders and tools away. Instead, call the number on your electric bill to schedule an inspection.

For more information on trees and power outages, please visit our vegetation management and tree pruning pages.