Utility Vegetation Management Program

A leading West Coast utility faces some of the most difficult vegetation management challenges in the electric utility industry. The company’s Enhanced Vegetation Management (EVM) Program focuses on clearing high-risk circuits in areas designated to have significant fire-threat by the State Public Utilities Commission. The program evaluates the location, health, condition and fire threat of trees within a 12 ft. radius of all electric distribution lines within the top 20% of fire threat areas across their service territory.

 

TRC delivers holistic vegetation management program solutions to this client. Our support for the EVM program provides consistent, reliable and accurate assessment and execution for both vegetation and wood management activities. Our programmatic approach contributes to the utility’s overall objective of mitigating fire risks for the utility, its customers and local communities.

Our Solutions

Program Framework: Within the first critical weeks of the 2021 program launch, we mobilized a core team of experts charged with establishing the EVM Program Playbook including permitting, planning and licensing, field services, geospatial analytics, advanced data analytics and project management.

 

Standard Operating Procedures: To optimize performance, we we establish and utilize systems, processes and procedures in place to release environmental concerns efficiently and in accordance with local, state and federal agency requirements.

 

Advanced Analytics: In 2021, we consolidated data for over 140,000 assets and associated data points to create visual dashboards and track program performance tied to daily, weekly and monthly targets.

 

Permitting and Licensing: Utilizing geospatial analytics, environmental expertise and regulatory knowledge, the permitting and licensing team and GIS specialists analyzed and consolidated information to support local, state and federal agency applications.

 

Field Services: TRC’s team of surveyors, biologists, arborists, cultural and land specialists use mobile devices to capture and provide critical information to clear environmental concerns following criteria established by the utility.

 

Program Management: TRC understands the role vegetation management plays as part of wildfire mitigation. Our program model leverages expert project managers and program leaders to ensure work is performed with quality and safety in mind and are responsible for the overall performance of program execution.