“Years of drought have left many of the trees in our service territory vulnerable to disease, particularly damage by the bark beetle,” explains Eliot Jones, Liberty Utilities’ Manager of Vegetation Control and Regulatory Compliance. “We want to be as proactive as possible to reduce both outage and wildfire risks related to hazardous trees falling onto our poles and lines.” Liberty Utilities has been authorised by California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to spend up to $2.5 million each year on vegetation management programs in order to maintain the CPUC requirement to keep trees, branches and other vegetation surrounding utility infrastructure
trimmed back to reduce outage risks.

Liberty Utilities has increased its efforts this summer to go above and beyond its annual vegetation management program. “In 2015 California declared a State of Emergency as a result of the vast tree mortality that has occurred in parts of California as a result of severe long-term drought and subsequent bark beetle infestation. The Lake Tahoe Basin includes two of the ten highest priority counties.” Jones further explains. “The CPUC subsequently is allowing utilities to supplement their routine vegetation management practices which we are significantly ramping up this year.” Liberty Utilities hires qualified tree inspectors who are currently working along the 57-mile length of the utility’s power line that serves the Tahoe City area. As high-risk trees are identified, another contractor will remove the hazards.

“We work closely with property owners to inform them about hazardous trees on or near their property that pose a risk to our lines,” Jones added. “Often times, these trees can pose a risk to their homes too. While some of the identified trees may not look diseased or dying, our inspectors are able to determine whether bark beetles have compromised the tree.” Jones noted that any tree on private property that must be removed remains the property of the landowner. Liberty Utilities’ contract crews will remove the tree limbs and dispose of them, but the tree log itself belongs to the property owner. “We’ll often cut the tree log into 4 foot lengths so the property owner can more easily handle the wood as they see fit,” Jones added. “Overall we find that customers understand and appreciate the need to remove trees that pose a risk to our infrastructure, the forest and sometimes their homes.”

Jones expects that crews will continue their work in the Tahoe City area throughout June and will continue working along the west shore and other parts of the service territory affected by tree mortality as long as necessary.

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Commissioner of the California Energy Commission Carla Peterman, said: “Other states are watching, other utilities are watching, and I think this proposed decision moves us in the right direction.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Pacific Gas & Electric  will spend more than US$22mn on installing 230 direct current fast-charging stations in the state. Both Pacific Gas & Electric  and Southern California Edison will spend US$236.3mn and US$342.6mn, respectively, “on infrastructure and rebates to support electric trucks, buses, and other medium or heavy-duty vehicles.”

Additionally, San Diego Gas & Electric has reserved funds worth US$136.9mn to provide rebates for nearly 60,000 customers to install charging stations at home.

PG&E spokeswoman, Ari Vanrenen, said: “This is a huge area that really needs to be tackled, and we think because the utilities have a strong history in infrastructure projects, we fit in really well into this space.”

Baumhefner of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “There’s a complementary relationship here, with VW diesel money for zero-emission trucks and buses, and utility investments providing the plugs for those zero-emission trucks and buses. It stretches the state’s VW money twice as far.”

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