Prevent Outages & Fires, Keep Trees Away from Wires

The fire season in 2020 was the most active in Colorado history. For more than 100 days, fires burned across Colorado, including the state’s three largest and most destructive wildfires on record. The Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, and Pine Gulch fires burned more than 500,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures.

The increased risk of fires is a growing concern — especially in United Power’s mountain territory that covers portions of Gilpin, Boulder and Jefferson counties, and includes heavily forested parts of Golden Gate Canyon State Park and parts of both the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. As your cooperative, United Power takes the growing threat of wildfires seriously. Our goal is the safety of our members and the protection of the communities they live in.

One of the leading fire risks is vegetation. To protect your power and your community, United Power is concentrating significant resources on clearing vegetation from power lines—especially in the portions of our mountain territory that are heavily forested.

 

prevent outages

If you notice a tree encroaching on United Power lines, please report it using our vegetation management form. 

Report Tree Concerns

Keeping power lines clear of trees and vegetation helps protect your property from hazards, prevents tree-related power outages and helps to mitigate the high risk of fire.

United Power will trim or remove any trees within 10 feet of primary overhead power lines. We will remove hazard trees that are diseased, dead or dying, or in situations where the tree may affect the integrity of the power lines.

United Power contracts with specially trained tree-trimmers, experienced in working near high-voltage power lines. Most tree trimming contractor vehicles have a visible decal indicating they are a ‘Contractor for United Power.'

Before vegetation maintenance work begins, United Power will notify members via automated phone call, postcard or door hanger. Contract crews may also knock on your door before working on your property.

To ensure you receive notification of planned work in the area, please verify your contact information by calling United Power’s Member Services team at 303-637-1300.

Wood that is too large for the chipper is piled and left for the property owner. United Power is happy to provide free wood chips to local residents. These are not high-grade chips; however, they make great mulch, weed control and can help keep moisture in the ground. To inquire about wood chips, contact our Vegetation Specialist at 720-685-5778 or email vegetation. 

  • Members are responsible for obstructions in secondary lines. These are typically single lines stretching from our pole to a member’s home – often seen in backyards, crossing from the main electric line to the home.
  • United Power is responsible for trimming around primary lines. These are lines running from pole to pole. United Power maintains these lines because they are high-voltage and require special handling from a qualified tree trimming crew. United Power will trim away any trees that are within 10 feet of utility lines.
  • Help keep your community safe by reporting vegetation near power lines. Please do not attempt to remove anything in contact with power lines. Please report tree hazards to United Power and we’ll help safely trim.

FOR SAFETY AND POWER RELIABILITY, UNITED POWER WILL TRIM AWAY ANY VEGETATION WITHIN TEN FEET OF POWER LINES.

Help protect your community from power outages, damaged utility equipment, and fires by reporting vegetation concerns to United Power and by observing the ten-foot rule between trees and power lines on your property.

Clearing problematic vegetation near overhead power lines is a continuous process for United Power, and we have made concerted efforts to enhance our vegetation management program. United Power has a dedicated Vegetation Specialist to coordinate and enhance our vegetation management plan.

The Vegetation Specialist coordinates with tree-trimming contractors to address areas that need immediate attention, patrols lines for vegetation encroachment and prioritizes trimming in high-risk areas. We utilize the latest vegetation software and identification technology to help detect problematic vegetation and ensure regular cycle trimming.

Members can contact the cooperative's Vegetation Specialist at 720-685-5778 or email vegetation. 

For Safety & Power Reliability, United Power Will Trim Any Vegetation Within 10 Ft. of Power Lines.