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Decision Support for Mitigating the Risk of Tree Induced Transmission Line Failure in Utility Rights-of-Way

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Abstract

Vegetation management is a critical component of rights-of-way (ROW) maintenance for preventing electrical outages and safety hazards resulting from tree contact with conductors during storms. Northeast Utility’s (NU) transmission lines are a critical element of the nation’s power grid; NU is therefore under scrutiny from federal agencies charged with protecting the electrical transmission infrastructure of the United States. We developed a decision support system to focus right-of-way maintenance and minimize the potential for a tree fall episode that disables transmission capacity across the state of Connecticut. We used field data on tree characteristics to develop a system for identifying hazard trees (HTs) in the field using limited equipment to manage Connecticut power line ROW. Results from this study indicated that the tree height-to-diameter ratio, total tree height, and live crown ratio were the key characteristics that differentiated potential risk trees (danger trees) from trees with a high probability of tree fall (HTs). Products from this research can be transferred to adaptive right-of-way management, and the methods we used have great potential for future application to other regions of the United States and elsewhere where tree failure can disrupt electrical power.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Tony Johnson and Bowin Lindgren of Northeast Utilities for logistical support. Funding for this research was provided by a grant from Northeast Utilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    H. M. Poulos & A. E. Camp

  2. Environmental Studies Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 06459, USA

    H. M. Poulos

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  1. H. M. Poulos
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  2. A. E. Camp
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Correspondence to H. M. Poulos.

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Poulos, H.M., Camp, A.E. Decision Support for Mitigating the Risk of Tree Induced Transmission Line Failure in Utility Rights-of-Way. Environmental Management 45, 217–226 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-009-9422-5

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