VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Clause Samples
The Vegetation Management Program clause establishes requirements and procedures for controlling and maintaining plant growth within a specified area, such as utility corridors, rights-of-way, or construction sites. Typically, this clause outlines the responsibilities for trimming, removing, or treating vegetation to prevent interference with infrastructure, ensure safety, or comply with regulatory standards. By clearly defining how vegetation should be managed, the clause helps prevent service disruptions, reduces safety hazards, and ensures ongoing compliance with environmental or operational guidelines.
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 6.1 The Company shall be allowed to include $27.1 million annually in rates for vegetation management. Of this amount, $11.6 million annually is associated with enhanced tree trimming (“ETT”) and hazard tree removal; $14.0 million annually is associated with scheduled maintenance trimming (“SMT”); and $1.5 million annually is associated with full-width right-of-way (“ROW”) clearing.
6.2 The following terms apply to annual reconciliation of vegetation management program costs:
(a) The Company may request recovery of its actual annual vegetation management expenses up to 10 percent over, or any amount under, the total amount allowed in base rates ($27.1 million), credited to or recovered through the annual Regulatory Reconciliation Adjustment Mechanism as further described in Section 9 below.
(b) The Company shall submit a detailed vegetation management plan on or by November 15th each year starting in November 2020 for the following calendar year’s vegetation work. The Company shall provide a summary of budgeted costs by program (i.e. ETT/Hazard Tree Removal, SMT and Full-Width ROW Clearing). Further details relating to the contents of the vegetation management plan are included as Appendix 3.
(c) The previous calendar year’s actual vegetation activity shall be reconciled to the budget each year in an annual report submitted to the Commission by March 1. If the actual expense incurred in the prior calendar year is less than the amount in base rates ($27.1 million) the Company may request either to carry that amount into the next program year as an offset to the current year’s expenditures or to return the under-spent amount to customers as a credit to the Regulatory Reconciliation Adjustment, subject to Commission approval. If the actual expense incurred in the prior calendar year is greater than the amount in base rates, the Company shall be allowed to recover amounts up to 10 percent of the amount in base rates through the Regulatory Reconciliation Mechanism ($2.71 million + $27.1 million = $29.81 million total), subject to Commission approval. Amounts greater than 10 percent over the amount in base rates shall not be recovered through the Regulatory Reconciliation Adjustment Mechanism or any other recovery mechanism.
(d) The first actual base rate reconciliation to be performed in the March 1, 2021 filing shall reconcile the costs from the period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. The period January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 shall be reflected i...
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. Contractor shall provide a vegetation management program for transmission rights-of-way that consists of the following activities: • Annual clearing of trees and brush on the right-of-way that interferes or threatens to interfere with the operation, maintenance, or safety of the Transmission System. • Line clearing activities including the trimming or removal of trees growing in close proximity to conductors, clearing of brush and shrub species through manual, mechanical or chemical control methods and the trimming or removal of hazard trees outside of the right-of-way that endanger the operation of the line. • Contract development and administration for vegetation management contracts with vendors that specialize in these types of services. Contract administration includes timesheet processing to capture productivity data and invoice processing. • Develop and implement specifications for vegetation management services performed by vendors to provide reliable and safe electric transmission service. • Provide technical expertise and contract services for the control of weeds in electric substations and for noxious weed control as required by law. • Notify landowners of intended vegetation management services as required by law and resolve landowner complaints concerning vegetation management work performed on their properties. • Audit work performed by vendors for productivity, quality and adherence to specifications.