Wildfire Mitigation & Vegetation Management
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Since 2021, SDCEA has been implementing system-wide work plan to increase wildfire mitigation and vegetation management efforts. This work is essential in the prevention of vegetation coming in contact with power lines and potentially igniting a wildfire or causing disruptions in electrical service.
SDCEA has contracted with Noble Tree Service (formerly Integrity Tree Service) for this work, the aim of which is to clear a minimum 15 to 20 feet (optimum) on either side of SDCEA’s poles. This is a national standard for vegetation removal around power lines.
Noble contractors will be using bucket trucks, climbing crews, mowing crews, and walk-in crews to accomplish the mitigation work plan. The company’s trucks will be clearly marked with Noble logos, but if you are uncertain, please contact our office.
When the tree-trimming and vegetation removal project is near your property or near adjacent property owners, please keep in mind that you need to stay clear from their work area due to falling debris and the heavy equipment that they will be running, which hinders their ability to hear or see you.
We understand that our members value trees and vegetation around their properties, as does SDCEA. Our members also rely on SDCEA to provide safe and reliable power, something we take very seriously. Many of our consumers have experienced a heightened awareness of the potential risks for forest fires and interruption of power supply due to wildfires that have taken place throughout the west and here in Colorado. Combined with the impacts of regional fires, it is our hope our members understand the necessity of SDCEA’s focused efforts on vegetation management.
Wildfire Mitigation Rate Rider
SDCEA charges a monthly Wildfire Mitigation Rate Rider to each service account (security lighting and line retention excluded) on our system. Before the rate rider was enacted, hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent annually on vegetation management. However, it was estimated that at those previous funding levels through the SDCEA budget, it would take more than 20 years to effectively clear vegetation from regional electric lines. Facing this reality, the SDCEA board took action to close the funding gap. To address the urgent need to remove potential wildfire ignition sources, they voted to approve the rate rider beginning in 2021, improving funding to tackle this critical issue.
The rate rider is used for the specific and necessary purpose of accelerating funding of vegetation removal to mitigate the threat of wildfires on our system. Funding raised through this rider is used only for wildfire mitigation and is not absorbed in SDCEA’s general operating budget.
The wildfire mitigation rider is reviewed annually for effectiveness by the board. The monthly charge will “sunset,” or be removed from SDCEA bills, when wildfire mitigation work is complete.
Additional Considerations
SDCEA’s Liability: Many of our consumers have been requested to remove vegetation on their property by their homeowner’s insurance company to mitigate the threat of wildfire damage.
SDCEA is also actively working with our insurance carrier to mitigate the threat of wildfire damage. Utilities have been held liable in the case of wildfire sparked by electric lines, which is potentially responsible for loss of human life and property. The resulting financial settlement of this liability would significantly increase the cost of service to all SDCEA’s consumers.
System Impacts: Even if your home is not located “in the trees,” you may still be at risk for a wildfire. Areas where there are no trees are of great concern for a fast-moving wildfire, due to low moisture content vegetation.
Your property may also lose power during a wildfire for days, weeks, or months, even if it is not in the direct path of a wildfire, as transmission and distribution lines are de-energized or damaged by the blaze.
While the rider and resulting mitigation program may be difficult for some of our account holders to support, we ultimately hope that through this commitment, we can better protect the quality of life for those living in our region now and in the future.
For questions and more information about the wildfire mitigation rider, please email us or call our office toll-free, 844-395-2412.
