Tree touching power lines in Arizona, United States: who is responsible

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes three utilities' own pages. It does not cover Arizona's other electric providers, and no Arizona statute or Corporation Commission rule was opened for this page. Other states have their own rules.

Arizona Public Service

The APS page Managing Vegetation for Safety and Reliability describes routine, cycle-based maintenance in which inspectors look at growth rate, defects, species and site characteristics to decide whether vegetation is pruned or removed. It also describes non-routine work when drought, lightning or a wildfire path make vegetation a hazard before the next cycle.

It says only an APS-approved contractor can trim trees near its power lines.
It lists the Construction Helpline, (602) 371-6140, and the Customer Experience Center, (602) 371-7171 in metro Phoenix or (800) 253-9405 elsewhere, for a tree too close to lines. It says a forestry representative assesses within 10 business days.
It says APS prunes or removes, free of charge, trees that pose a risk to the high-voltage distribution and transmission lines.
It says a 10-foot radius is cleared around equipment poles at no cost, and gives (928) 443-6643 for its Fire Mitigation Team.
For planting, it says shrubs and trees near overhead lines should not grow taller than 15 feet, and it asks that nothing permanent be placed within 10 feet of the door of an electrical box, two feet from its sides or six feet on the left-side corner of the pad.

Salt River Project

The SRP blog post The power of vegetation management says SRP becomes responsible for pruning or removing a tree once it has encroached on an SRP power line. It then says one common misconception is that SRP is responsible for all vegetation under power lines.

SRP says it prunes only after growth comes within 10 feet of its pole-to-pole lines, and that a line running from the pole to a home's roof is the homeowner's responsibility. It says SRP can temporarily disconnect power so an owner can prune.
When a customer reports a risk, a Utility Forester Technician assesses it, an SRP-contracted crew prunes, and a Utility Forester audits the work.
When a tree outgrows the two-year maintenance cycle, SRP says it offers free removal for customers and city partners. It says three to six replacement trees are planted for every tree removed for safety, and that since 2018 its Right Tree Right Place program has removed over 1,300 trees and planted over 4,400.

Tucson Electric Power

The TEP page Vegetation Management says certified arborists work with a contractor year-round to identify vegetation that could interfere with overhead equipment. It says line clearance crews clear public property and rights-of-way once every six years, with more frequent pruning in some circumstances. It says crews also prune back vegetation on private property near overhead distribution lines once every six years, with no charge to the owner, and that an owner may be billed if crews must return within six years for additional work. It gives 520-623-7711 for vegetation questions and says never to attempt to clear vegetation near energized lines. It says crews may need to enter private property and make a good-faith effort to notify nearby residents of planned trimming.

What the sources leave out

The three pages give no common clearance distance. All three name 10 feet, but for different things: APS for the pole radius and the electrical box door, SRP for when it begins pruning pole-to-pole lines, and TEP for how far vegetation should be kept from overhead electrical equipment.

Who to call

911: a downed power line, per the utility
APS Construction Helpline, (602) 371-6140: a tree too close to APS power lines
Tucson Electric Power, 520-623-7711: vegetation management questions or concerns in the TEP area