Trees and Right of Way Management

Mississippi Power has a duty and obligation to maintain the electric facilities to provide safe and reliable electric service, as well as the right to ingress and egress private property. The Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC) sets the rules by which Mississippi Power is allowed to operate. These rules are set forth in the RULES GOVERNING ELECTRIC SERVICE for Mississippi Power.

The Rules Governing Electric Service specify provisions allowing Mississippi Power access to our facilities on private property for purpose of maintaining service to our customers. Preventing vegetation from contacting our energized conductors plays a large part in maintaining safe and reliable service. Our vegetation crews must, and will, respect private property and will leave it in the same condition as when they arrived.

Our contractors are trained to look at and consider such things as: tree species, growth rates, tree health, and the relative location to the power lines involved before pruning. We may remove entire branches that are growing toward the lines, or branches that, when cut, would re-sprout and grow toward the lines. Branches growing away from power lines are usually not removed.

In order to prevent vegetation re-growth from contacting our facilities during the cycle, Mississippi Power’s standard clearance is 15 feet from the centerline of the circuit to the pruned vegetation. This is a standard clearance widely used by many other electric utilities.

In most cases, Mississippi Power transmission lines are built to a standard for reliability that allows for vegetation that reaches a maximum height of 10 feet to exist under the line and maintain proper clearance as defined by company, industry and regulatory standards. Topping of vegetation that can exceed 10 feet is only a short-term solution that results in a tree, or shrub, with more potential conflicts with the transmission line(s). In addition to utility conflicts, topping is not a professionally recognized method of tree pruning and promotes starvation, shock, insect, disease, weak branching, irregular growth and aesthetic problems that typically result in an undesirable or dead tree.

Any time a tree is wounded, the tree is placed under stress. Mississippi Power uses a technique called “directional pruning,” which can reduce the stress placed upon a tree. This technique is encouraged by the National Arbor Day Foundation and the International Society of Arboriculture and does not interfere with the tree’s ability to seal wounds, allowing the tree’s natural defense system to discourage pests and decay.

No. Crews are instructed to clear only those parts of trees which are/may interfere with Mississippi Power’s electric facilities. Please do not ask them to prune any other trees on your property.

Customers should not attempt to prune any vegetation growing near or on any overhead power line. In some cases it actually may be illegal to prune trees without the services of a certified line-clearance professional. Only specially-trained line clearing professionals should work around power lines.

No. The crews are directed to prune for clearance around the company’s electric facilities only. They will attempt to directionally prune branches to redirect future growth away from power lines.

Approximately, 1-2 weeks before our pruning contractor moves into a new area, postcards are sent out to customers notifying them of pruning operations in the near future. If trees or vegetation on your property does require removal or pruning away from power lines, a contractor representative will contact you in person or will leave a door card one to four days before work is scheduled to begin.

There are no additional charges. If you are approached by an agent of Mississippi Power requesting compensation, please contact our customer service center at 1-800-532-1502.

When pruning is done as part of our scheduled maintenance program, debris is moved to the curb and the debris is removed by specialty crews, usually within the same week it was placed. However, debris generated during storm restoration will not be removed.

If you see a tree touching power lines and sparking or any other hazardous tree condition, contact Mississippi Power at 1-800-532-1502 to report the condition.

Typically, easements state Mississippi Power has the right to maintain the rights-of-way free and clear of vegetation. Unless legally recorded otherwise, Mississippi Power reserves the right to require removal, at Mississippi Power's sole discretion, of plantings previously permitted. This type of change most likely would occur in response to revisions of electrical standards and/or regulations requiring modifications to acceptable vegetation clearance requirements to maintain safety and reliability of the transmission system.

The burying of transmission lines is extremely expensive, in comparison to above-ground construction, and cost prohibitive to the ability of providing affordable electricity to customers. In addition to cost, underground transmission lines still require rights-of way that are free of shrubs and trees.

In a majority of the cases there will be an area that is cleared and on each side of the power lines you can see where the trees have been maintained by being trimmed. This will not tell you exactly where the right-of-way is but will give you an indication as to the approximate location of the right-of-way edge. You should review your property survey, as the right-of-way should be shown on the survey with measurements that you can use to better locate the right-of-way. The right-of-way specialist in your area can also assist you by marking the edge of the right-of-way on your property. The property owner should consult with a surveyor to accurately determine the edge of the right-of-way.

Transmission lines are insulated only by air. Everyone should stay clear of all transmission wires. No equipment such as cotton or grain harvesters, dump trucks or crane booms should be raised near a transmission line. In addition, care should be taken to maintain a safe distance from electric wires when using backhoes, cranes, forklifts, pile drivers, well drilling rigs and other tall equipment.
If you have questions about clearance, including whether placing fill within the right-of-way would violate easement rights, please contact the right-of-way specialist for your area.

No. The use of off-road vehicles on the right-of-way is not permitted. This type of use causes erosion to the area, disturbances to the property owners and can destroy the access routes that the company uses to get to the poles and wires.