Tree touching power lines in New York, United States: who is responsible
The New York Department of Public Service says what the state requires of utilities and who handles a complaint. Con Edison and National Grid publish their own tree pages. This page reports what those sources say.
This page is for tree owners. It reports what the named sources say and is not advice about your tree: for that, ask a qualified arborist or one of the offices under Who to call.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 10, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the Department of Public Service page and the pages of two utilities. It does not cover NYSEG, Central Hudson, Orange and Rockland, the Long Island Power Authority or municipal utilities, and the text of the state rule itself was not opened for this page. Other states have their own rules.
What the state agency says
The Department of Public Service page Tree Trimming and Vegetation Management says the Public Service Commission requires electric utilities to file long-range vegetation management plans for the transmission rights-of-way corridors they rent or own, and that the Commission's requirements extend only to property the utility controls by fee or easement. It names 16 NYCRR Part 84 and the Commission's order in Case 04-E-0822 as the framework. It says the plan requirement covers transmission facilities of 34 kV and above, except where located entirely on public streets or roads. It also says the Commission's staff reviews each utility's program every year, looking at tree-caused outages, danger tree removal, herbicide use and complaint handling.
| Question | What the Department page says |
|---|---|
| Who to call first | A utility gives notice, with a name and phone number, before right-of-way work. The page says to contact the utility first about a complaint. |
| If not resolved | The owner may then contact the Public Service Commission's Office of Consumer Services at 1-800-342-3377, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday, or file a complaint. |
| Work outside the right of way | The page says contractors have occasionally trimmed or removed trees outside the utility's right of way, or left branches, logs or chips, and recommends contacting the utility first. |
| Owner managing the corridor | It says utilities generally do not allow a landowner to manage the right of way on their own, because of safety, liability and federal regulations, though they support compatible uses such as agriculture. |
| Planting heights | It lists guidelines of no more than 15 feet for trees planted 30 to 60 feet from transmission line rights of way, 25 feet for 60 to 90 feet, and 60 feet for 90 to 120 feet. The list is introduced as height clearances measured from the center of the utility right-of-ways. |
| Federal standard | It says the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's FAC-003 standard requires vegetation management planning for transmission lines of 200 kV and above and for lower-voltage lines deemed critical. |
What Con Edison says
The Con Edison page General Tree-Trimming FAQ says it trims and removes trees along its 4 kV and 13 kV distribution lines every three years and its 27 kV and 33 kV lines every two years. It says it gives notice at least a month before work to anyone living next to or near a distribution or transmission right of way. It gives its specification as 10 feet above, 6 feet either side and 6 feet below its wires in New York City, and 15 feet above, 10 feet to either side and 10 feet below in Westchester County.
The Con Edison page We Trim Trees to Keep Your Lights On says trimming along distribution wires is generally done from pole to pole, and that tree trimming on private property, including along the service wire from the power line to the house, is the property owner's responsibility. It says a licensed tree-service contractor can do that work and that the company asks to be told first so it can detach the service wire and confirm the line is not energized. After storms, it says trained crews remove trees and limbs from the overhead lines but leave the debris; if the tree was on the owner's property, the owner is responsible for the debris, for town trees the town's public works department, and in New York City the Department of Parks and Recreation at 311. On transmission lines it says planting any vegetation on the right of way is prohibited and trees are trimmed generally every three years.
The page Be Aware of Hazardous Trees says that when its arborists work in an area they tell an owner about a hazardous tree and, with written permission, prune or remove it, leaving the stump. It says it never trims or removes a tree outside its right of way without permission, and that a request for removal of an ailing tree on private property can be submitted. It adds that a tree close to a telephone or cable wire is for the telephone or cable provider.
What National Grid says
The National Grid page Our Vegetation Management Program says it visits a neighbourhood every five to seven years to trim around high-voltage lines, keeps a minimum of 10 to 15 feet of clearance from them, and does not trim outside its schedule unless a significant hazard affects wires. It says trimming focuses on branches that may interfere with primary lines and that it does not trim trees or branches that affect individual service lines or phone and cable wires. Extra pruning can be done by an electrically qualified tree contractor at the owner's expense. If a property owner does not permit trimming, the page says the owner may sign a statement accepting responsibility and financial liability for resulting damage or claims from future service interruptions. For a temporary disconnect for safe trimming it gives 1-800-642-4272 and asks for at least five days notice.
The page Frequently Asked Questions says homeowners are responsible for trimming branches near the low voltage service drop to their homes. It says rubber sleeves can in some cases be placed over service wires and in others the service is disconnected from the home. The Vegetation Management Program page adds that routine cleanup chips smaller branches and cuts larger wood to manageable lengths left near the tree, and that it does not remove debris from storm-related emergency work.
What the sources leave out
The pages read do not say who pays when a private tree falls across a service wire, and they give no price for any owner other than saying that extra trimming is at the owner's expense.
Who to call
- New York Public Service Commission, Office of Consumer Services: a utility vegetation complaint not settled with the utility: 1-800-342-3377, per the Department of Public Service
- Con Edison, tree trimming pages: a service wire to be detached before tree work, per the company
- National Grid, trees and your electric service pages: a temporary disconnect for tree work or damage by a contractor: 1-800-642-4272, per the company
Sources
- New York State Department of Public Service, tree trimming and vegetation management, read October 10, 2026
- Con Edison, general tree-trimming FAQ, read October 10, 2026
- Con Edison, we trim trees to keep your lights on, read October 10, 2026
- Con Edison, be aware of hazardous trees, read October 10, 2026
- National Grid, our vegetation management program (upstate New York), read October 10, 2026
- National Grid, trees and your electric service frequently asked questions (upstate New York), read October 10, 2026