U.S. Utilities Aggressive on Tree Trimming

The U.S. electricity industry says a new law requiring tree-trimming around power lines should cut down on outages.

The law passed in 2005 began implementing fines this month for utilities that don’t keep their lines clear of tree limbs and branches that can bring down wires in a storm.

“We have confidence it will have an impact,” Jim Owen, spokesman for the trade group Edison Electric Institute, told USA Today Tuesday. “Now for the first time ever, you can be formally sanctioned and

penalized and have to pay serious money.”

The fines are indeed stiff — up to $1 million per day, which USA Today says has some power companies cutting down problem trees rather than trying to keep them trimmed.

While some communities object to aggressive tree removal, utilities say their primary concern is keeping the lights on.