Dealing with the Challenges

Our mission is, and will always be, to provide reliable service at the lowest possible cost. At Vigilante Electric Cooperative (VEC), the safety of the public, our communities, and the land we enjoy are a priority and responsibility.    VEC and our transmission providers have strategies, programs, and procedures to mitigate the threat of electrical equipment ignited wildfires.   During fire season, these actions may cause temporary outages and affect reliability that you are accustomed to.

From a logistical standpoint, our service territory presents some challenges. Our service territory extends into nine counties, and we maintain over 2,800 miles of powerlines. In certain areas, our powerlines intersect heavily wooded areas. In fact, trees in powerlines are one of our leading causes of outages.

Our commitment to safety and community responsibilities does not stop on our side of the meter, however; part of our responsibility is equipping our members with methods to be proactive at home.

We encourage you to evaluate fire risks on your property. Could any of your trees impact a powerline? If the answer is yes, give us a call. We will work with you to remove or trim trees or vegetation progressing towards or leaning on our lines.

On the other hand, it is crucial to understand that if you receive a notification about a tree on your property that needs trimming or removal, it is because these trees have been identified as potential threats to service reliability and, in some cases, could even spark wildfires.

Another proactive step is that if you choose to plant large, fast-growing trees, please ensure that they will be at least ten feet away from powerlines when fully grown. Lastly, if you are in an area with dense vegetation, consider creating a defensible space around your property by trimming trees and clearing debris.

One of the seven cooperative principles is concern for the community. The more we collaborate on these issues, the more we can enhance our system's reliability and the safety of those in our communities.