Maintaining trees and vegetation to help ensure reliable service

Transmission and distribution lines are vital to the electric grid. Simply put, these power lines incorporate different voltages of power as it is transmitted from generating stations to substations and ultimately to customers.

Transmission vs. distribution
distribution poles and power lines along a city street with trimmed trees

Distribution Vegetation Management

We prune trees away from power lines on a planned cycle to reduce outages caused by downed trees or limbs. This lessens the threat of outages as well as providing easier access to our lines, which means quicker restoration of power in times of trouble. When pruning trees, we complete the entire line and do not schedule individual pruning requests.

Distribution Power Line Tree Clearance Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place Targeted Tree and Vegetation Program
Powerlines in a field of flowers

Transmission Vegetation Management

We move electricity from generating sites to substations by a process called transmission. In order to bring the clean, safe, reliable, affordable energy that customers expect and deserve, we maintain vegetation on thousands of miles of transmission easements across the service territory.

Transmission Power Line Clearance Transmission Planting Within an Easement

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a transmission line?

Transmission lines are the high-voltage power lines that run between large towers and poles. Unlike distribution lines that feed our homes, these lines carry power to communities and even other states.

What is a right-of-way (ROW)?

What is an easement?

How wide are the company’s transmission line rights-of-way?

What type of equipment does LG&E and KU use to perform right-of-way clearance?

What if a tree needs to be removed?

My electric service is underground? Why am I being notified?

What part of my electric service overhead am I responsible for?

Plant for the Planet

Our Plant for the Planet program is modeled after the United Nations Environment Program's (UNEP) Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign.

LG&E and KU offer one-year matching grants of $500 up to $5,000 for urban, suburban or rural projects in forests and parks, along parkways or roadways that meet program objectives. Applicants must demonstrate that mature trees resulting from their efforts will not interfere with utility lines.

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811/Digging Safety

Accidentally digging into underground utility lines - can cause serious injury, service interruptions, costly repair bills or even death. Kentucky and Virginia laws require excavators, including homeowners, to contact operators of underground utilities before performing any excavation work.

It doesn't matter how large or small your project is -- planting a bush or tree or putting up a mailbox post- – you are required to have underground utility lines marked before you dig.

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Wildfire Safety

We are doing our part to prevent fires by regularly inspecting, maintaining and investing in our energy grid, using smart grid technology to monitor the grid and actively managing vegetation near our lines to reduce the possibility of wildfires starting from accidental contact.

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