Regular tree trimming can reduce power outages caused by lines being knocked down, according to new research.
Enhanced tree trimming reduces the number of power outages during storms by 16 to 48 percent, according to a study from UConn researchers recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Electric Power Systems Research.
Electric utilities conduct regular tree trimming and other vegetation management along electric transmission and distribution lines to minimize damage during storms and maintain system reliability. Enhanced tree trimming – also called ETT – is a more focused and intensified management practice that involves completely removing trees and brush within eight feet to the sides, 10 feet below and 20 feet above power lines. Trimming and completely removing trees in populated areas often raises public concerns.
“In Connecticut, the vast majority of outages are caused by trees falling on overhead distribution lines and, as demonstrated in our paper, ETT has a significant impact on the reduction of outages,” said Diego Cerrai, a post-doctoral research assistant in UConn’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and an author of the study. “Such a study is necessary to open discussions between utilities, regulators, towns and residents in order to find the right balance between different techniques to improve the resiliency of the electric grid.”
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