Challenges in Utility Vegetation Management

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• Challenges in Utility Vegetation Management
• Presentation to WECC
• Promoting Effective Collaborations Conference
• 10/11/2005
• Randall H. Miller

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Objectives

• Understand the difference among electric lines,
  including the importance of transmission
  facilities.
• Convey the compelling reasons to clear trees from
  power lines.
• Explain the challenges of utility vegetation
  management on Federally-managed lands.
• Support common goals.
• Be aware of the objectives of utility vegetation
  management techniques.

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The View From the Office Window
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Types of Electric Facilities
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Voltage

• Variety of lines energized to different voltages
  depending on function.

• Electric pressure
• Analogous to PSI in hydraulic model.

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Amps

• Measure of electric current.
• Analogous to gallons per minute in the hydraulic
  model.
• Ohms law At constant resistance, increasing
  voltage increases amperage.
• Transmission lines have he capacity to carry
  enormous loads of electricity.

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Compelling Reasons UtilitiesClear Trees From
Power Lines.

• Safety.
• Service reliability.
• Governmental Regulations.

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Fire
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Ignition Source

• Fires can be caused by trees on and off the
  right-of-way

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2002 Transmission Line Fires

• East Antelope Power lines spark fire behind
  Grizzly Peak
• Fire crews are cautiously optimistic about
  reining in the East Antelope fire
• By SARAH LEMONAugust 14, 2002

Grizzly Gulch Much of Lead evacuated fire
acreage hold steady By JOE KAFKA, Associated
Press Writer June 30, 2002   DEADWOOD (AP) -
From 10,000 to 15,000 people have evacuated
Deadwood and much of Lead because of
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Electric Contact
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Indirect Contact

• Wind blew branches into 138 kV transmission line.
• Line went to ground through tree.
• Energized the metal fences in the neighborhood.

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Smoke
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Catastrophic Transmission Outage
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Six Weeks Later
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Danger Trees
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Governmental Regulations

• NERC Vegetation Management Standard
• Energy Policy Act
• Urban-Wildland Interface Code
• National Electric Safety Code
• State Regulatory Requirements

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Vegetation Management Challenges

• Keep vegetation away from power lines
• Land use and ownership
• Terrain
• Technology options
• Regulatory uncertainties
• Labor
• Money
• TE Species
• Inconsistent Federal policies
• Regulatory pressures
• Public perceptions

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Working On Federal Lands
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District Decisions

• OUTAGE Main line from Pacific NW into CA.
• CONTRIBUTING FACTOR District required trees be
  left in ROW

• Scott Able Fire NM
• USFS cease and desist

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Common Goals

• Sustainable Management
• Promote
• Environmental Stewardship
• Biodiversity
• Control
• Wildfire
• Noxious Vegetation
• Improve
• Wildlife Habitat
• Reduce
• Impacts of Management

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Chediski-Rodeo Fire
Power line
Young Road
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Aesthetics
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Threatened and Endangered Species
Northern Spotted Owl
Flammulated Owl
Marbled Murrelet
Desert Tortoise
Peregrine Falcons
Coho Salmon
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Riparian Areas
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Archeological Surveys

• BLM in Southern Utah
• 180K survey found significant archeological
  resources, including human remains on the surface
  of the soil.

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Integrated Vegetation Management

• A Delicate Balance
• Control
• Costs
• Public Health
• Environmental Quality
• Long term goal Convert rights-of-way from tall-
  growing plant species to stable, low-growing
  plant communities.

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IVM Methods

• Manual (chainsaws, pulling etc.)
• Mechanical (mowers)
• Biological control agents
• Cultural (promote desirable vegetation to out
  compete undesirable plant types).
• Chemical

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IVM Process

• Identify problematic trees
• Consider action thresholds
• Evaluate various control options
• Implement selected control

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Best Management Practices

• ANSI Safety, pruning and IVM
• ISA BMP Pruning and IVM
• BPA and BLM EISes

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BPA EIS

• USDAFS and BLM cooperating agencies
• Analyzed keeping vegetation away from electric
  facilities
• Minimize adverse environmental impacts
• Cost and administrative efficiency
• Comply with laws and regulations

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Wasatch-Cache EA

• Analyze use of herbicides on 87 acres of ROW
• NEPA process
• 60K for consultants to research and write.
• Decision of No Significant Impact
• In 45 day appeal period.

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Wire Zone-Border Zone

• Bramble and Byrnes
• 50 yrs. of Research
• Wire Zone-Border Zone
• Establish computable, stable plant communities.
• Enhance wildlife habitat (meadow species, edge
  species and forest species).
• Conceptual can be influenced by ladder fuels,
  slope, environmental consideration, wire height
  from ground and other factors.

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Wire Height
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Emergency Work

• Often impossible to anticipate.
• Necessary to maintain electric supply, public
  safety and the environment.

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Mechanization
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Overgrown Right-of-Way
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ROW Reclamation
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Herbicides
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Tall-Growing Veg. Noxious Weeds
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Initial Results
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Managing the Right-of-way
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Access Roads

• Lead to each structure from either off or on the
  right-of-way.
• Must be clear of vegetation so crews
  (particularly line crews can access lines for
  maintenance and emergency repairs.
• Closers for road less areas is a problem in some
  cases.

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Economics

• PacifiCorp Spends 40M on Vegetation Management.
• Transmission expenditures roughly 5M/year
• Manual 1,000 - 1,300/acre
• Mechanical 600 - 800/acre
• Herbicide 160 - 600/acre

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Summary

• Dist. lines usually carry between 600 and 45,000
  volts, transmission lines carry more than 45kV .
• Utilities clear veg. for safety, service
  reliability and to comply governmental
  regulations
• Utilities and Agencies have the common goals of
  environmental stewardship, biodiversity, improved
  wildlife habitat and to reduce the ROWs
  footprint
• The objective of IVM is to establish a stable,
  low-growing plant community that will require
  less and less intervention over time.

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• Challenges in Utility Vegetation Management
• Presentation to WECC
• Promoting Effective Collaborations Conference
• 10/11/2005
• Randall H. Miller