Tree touching power lines in Alberta, Canada: who is responsible

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes FortisAlberta's own pages. Other utilities and the rest of Canada are not covered here.

Who is responsible

The FortisAlberta page Customer's Role says the company keeps the required setbacks along the stretches between poles, and customers take care of the area around the last service line from pole to structure. The page FortisAlberta's Role says the same split and adds that the company is not obligated to assist with trees it deems not a risk to its lines, or that have enough clearance under the Alberta Electrical Utility Code, and that its ability to assist is reviewed case by case. It says customers share responsibility for keeping vegetation on their property safe.

What the utility says about the customer's own work

The Customer's Role page lists considerations for a customer who does their own clearing:

customers can only clear vegetation on land they own;
a temporary disconnection of the pole-to-structure service line can be requested at no cost;
all debris must be removed from the right-of-way so the company can reach the line;
tree trimming is for qualified professionals whose tools and equipment are certified for work near energized lines;
property owners must comply with federal, provincial and municipal legislation;
customer work within seven metres of an overhead power line requires an overhead orientation, booked on 310-WIRE (9473).

It also says customers who do not want the company doing this work on their property can hire someone or do it themselves, as long as the safety points above and the safe minimum approach distances are met, and that the company's technicians may visit to check setbacks and notify the owner in advance if work is needed.

Storms and planting

The FortisAlberta's Role page says that in storm response the crews focus on restoring electricity, which may mean trimming or removing trees and branches on private property that interfere with electrical equipment. It says the work is limited to what is needed to restore service, and that tree debris left afterwards is the property owner's responsibility. It lists trimming, selective removals, mowing, mulching and herbicide treatments as the company's techniques and says clearance standards are measured ground-to-sky and may vary by species.

The company's Planting Guide says trees and vegetation touching power lines cause more than 70,000 hours of power outages each year and can spark fires. It says no species should be planted within a distance equal to its mature height from power lines, and gives plant lists for sites under 2, 6 and 15 metres from a power pole.

Getting help

The company page Getting Help gives 310-WIRE (9473) for questions about trees, plants and shrubs near power lines and for asking the company to look at vegetation in an area it is responsible for.

Who to call

FortisAlberta, 310-WIRE (9473): questions about vegetation near its lines and requests for clearance work
FortisAlberta, customer's role: the overhead orientation for work within seven metres of a line and free temporary disconnection of a service line
FortisAlberta, planting guide: plant lists by distance from a pole