Utility wildfire plans and tree clearing, region by region
A side by side of what regulators in Oregon and Victoria say about utility wildfire or bushfire plans and the clearance of trees from power lines, with the regions not yet read marked as such.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 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 filings and rules as the regulators' own pages state them, as read on October 8, 2026. It reports what is filed and what is written; it does not judge any utility. Tree crews do much of the line clearance that these plans describe, so the plans set the frame for the work. For who does the work and which credentials apply, see the guide to utility line clearance work.
Regions read
| Region | Regulator and what is filed | Clearance and inspection as the regulator words them |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Oregon Public Utility Commission. Investor-owned utilities file wildfire mitigation plans every year for approval; consumer-owned utilities file copies of plans approved by their own governing body. See the Oregon page | Minimum clearances of 10 feet above 200,000 volts, 7.5 feet from 50,001 to 200,000 volts, and 5 feet from 600 to 50,000 volts (3 feet if not readily climbable). Consumer-owned utilities inspected at least every three years |
| Victoria, Australia | Energy Safe Victoria evaluates electric line clearance management plans and checks compliance with minimum clearance spaces. See the Victoria page | Trees typically checked at least once every year in Hazardous Bushfire Risk Areas, and between one and three years in Low Bushfire Risk Areas. Distances sit in Regulation 616, not printed on the pages read |
| California | California Public Utilities Commission, General Order 95. The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety pages returned an access block on October 8, 2026, so the plan filings are not described. See the California page | Table 1 radial clearances of 18 inches (Case 13) and 48 inches (Case 14, Southern California fire threat zones) for 750 to 22,500 volt conductors; Appendix E trim-time guidelines from 4 feet to 30 feet by voltage |
| Texas | Public Utility Commission of Texas. Utilities and cooperatives with facilities in a wildfire risk area file wildfire mitigation plans under House Bill 145 and 16 TAC section 25.60. See the Texas page | No distances printed. The plan holds a detailed vegetation management plan; reapproval not later than three years after approval; separate annual vegetation plan for distribution lines under section 25.96 |
| Colorado | Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Plans are not formally required; Xcel Energy's 2025 to 2027 plan was approved by settlement, and statewide rules were proposed on September 23, 2026. See the Colorado page | No distances printed. Proposed rules would require full plans every three years that describe planned vegetation management |
What differs between Oregon and Victoria
Oregon writes numbers into a rule: the voltage bands and the clearance in feet, together with a definition of vegetation that can be climbed. Its commission audits utilities and inspects them on a cycle, and the commission's fact sheet says that Oregon and California are the only states with specific minimum vegetation clearance requirements. Victoria puts the duty to keep trees clear on named parties: the distribution business, the council on declared public land, and the property owner for the service line to the house. Its regulator reviews the management plans those parties prepare.
California, Texas and Colorado differ again. California's General Order 95 prints clearances in inches and feet. The Texas and Colorado pages read describe what a plan must contain and how often it is refiled, and print no distances.
For the national picture of working near energized lines see the guide to working near power lines.
Wildfire plans, region by region
Sources
- Oregon Public Utility Commission, Wildfire mitigation, read October 8, 2026
- Oregon Public Utility Commission, Fact sheet: PUC's role in vegetation management, read October 8, 2026
- Energy Safe Victoria, Electric line clearance and bushfire mitigation: legislation, policies and areas, read October 8, 2026
- Energy Safe Victoria, Trees and vegetation FAQ, read October 8, 2026