BEAUFORT, S.C. – Dominion Energy is currently trimming tree branches, and removing trees when necessary, that impede transmission and distribution power lines on streets throughout the City of Beaufort. We’ve been sharing their planned route for the past couple of weeks on the City’s Facebook and Nextdoor pages, and will continue to do so.
Numerous residents have contacted City staff or City Council members to ask about this process. The City has engaged Michael Murphy of Preservation Tree Care to advise our Public Works staff and confer with Dominion as the process continues.
Dominion has an extensive FAQ on its tree-trimming process, which we are sharing here:
https://www.dominionenergy.com/safety/electric-safety/trees-trimming-and-powerlines
From Dominion’s website:
Customers often have questions about how and why Dominion Energy manages trees and plants near our power lines. We cut trees and brush adjacent to our rights of way (the areas around power lines) to maintain safe, reliable and economic electric service, and to provide quicker access for our crews during service restoration and maintenance work.
We follow the American National Standard for Tree Care Operations (ANSI A300) for tree trimming—supported by arborists and other tree care experts. This method helps direct future growth away from power lines while leaving remaining limbs intact.
ANSI A300 trimming may appear drastic at first but results in healthier trees long-term since fewer cuts are used. Affected areas callous quickly, reducing decay and allowing for future trimming that may be less noticeable.
A Dominion representative has been talking to homeowners in neighborhoods during this process to address their concerns as well. Please call Dominion Energy South Carolina customer support number with concerns: 800-251-7234.
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