Spring is officially here and the growing season will soon be in full swing across the country. Vegetation management programs that help improve reliability and mitigate wildfire risk will be on the top of the priority list for most electric utilities.
San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) works year-round with qualified personnel to manage approximately 460,000 trees in its service territory. Crews of certified arborists and other vegetation management professionals inspect trees and vegetation, prune and remove hazardous vegetation, and clear brush around power poles and transmission towers, while performing quality assurance audits of work performance and compliance. In addition to the physical labor, the utility conducts outreach and education such as going into schools and communities to host tree-planting events, which remains an integral part of the SDG&E program. To honor the company’s efforts, The Arbor Day Foundation® has recognized SDG&E as a “Tree Line USA® Utility” every year since 2002. Utility companies that successfully perform best practices in tree care, worker training and public education receive this prestigious recognition.
Michael Daleo, SDG&E’s System Forester, will discuss the company’s ongoing vegetation management efforts that support reliability and wildfire risk mitigation. Michael has been in the utility vegetation management industry for the past 25 years, 16 of which with SDG&E, and the prior years with Pacific Gas & Electric in Northern California. Michael has a B.S. in Forestry and Watershed Management and he is an ISA-Certified Arborist and Utility Specialist.
