Member’s Responsibility
Members are responsible for maintaining a 4-foot-wide path (ground-to-sky clearance) for the service drop. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to keep limbs clear of secondary lines, which are the lines from your home or business to the pole (i.e. meter pole, yard pole or transformer pole, whichever comes first).
If needed, arrangements can be made to have service wires temporarily removed at no charge to you. If you would like to schedule this free service, please contact Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA)’s Operations Department at (907) 452-1151 extension 5692 several days in advance, so steps can be taken to complete this work safely. We will gladly work with you and/or your contractor to make sure the power line is taken down so that the tree(s) can be removed or trimmed safely.
Once the service drop has been cleared, you must agree to maintain the 4-foot-wide (ground-to-sky clearance) path for the service drop in order to be reconnected. GVEA will not reconnect a service unless there is a 4-foot-wide (ground-to-sky) path. Access must be provided between the service attachment and GVEA’s facilities.
It’s important to maintain the trees on your property also. This includes maintaining vegetation outside the utility easements. This effort will help to avoid outages and unsafe conditions.
Caution: For your safety, please do not work on trees near power lines. Never attempt to prune or trim near electrical wires or remove branches that are touching power lines. Please alert GVEA if you believe a tree may be growing too close to a power line using our Hazard Tree form.
GVEA’s Responsibility
GVEA is responsible for trimming trees or vegetation contacting or having the potential to cause an outage on primary electric lines. Primary lines are the distribution or transmission lines that lead from the substation to the secondary lines that feeds homes and businesses.
Trimming or removing trees is the best way of preventing outages or blinks; this results in more reliable service, as well as quicker power restoration during severe weather events.
Our crews look for foliage growing under power lines, overhanging branches, leaning or other types of “hazard” trees that could pull down a power line if they fall.
GVEA only trims trees that are growing too close to power lines that are owned and maintained by GVEA. GVEA does not trim trees that are threatening to interfere with your service drop (the line that runs from your pole to your home or business). Maintaining the vegetation to the service drop is the responsibility of the property owner.
Maintenance of Service Drop Brochure
The area under the service drop that connects your house or business to GVEA’s high voltage line is owned by you, the member, and therefore it is your responsibility to maintain it.
A 4-foot wide area (2 feet each side of power line) between your home or business to the pole should be kept clear of trees and brush from the ground to the sky. This applies even if your service is underground rather than overhead. Trimming or removing trees is the best way to prevent outages or blinks. Keeping this 4-foot-wide path clear will reduce your risk of having a tree tear down your electric service during a severe storm.
Safely Removing Trees
The safest way to remove trees is for GVEA to disconnect your line while the work is done by yourself or by a tree contractor. GVEA does not charge for this service.
To Disconnect
- Call GVEA’s Operations Department at (907) 452-1151 extension 5692 to schedule a disconnect appointment
- To ensure you get the day and time you want, call at least 5 days in advance
- Appointments are available Monday through Thursday at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
To Reconnect
- Call GVEA’s Operations Department at (907) 452-1151 extension 5692 when you are ready to reconnect
- For a same-day reconnect, call before 3:30 p.m. to avoid an after-hours reconnect fee