Latest news with #vegetationmanagement
BBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Climate change a growing problem as power network cuts more trees
Criss-crossing the south of England are the thousands of miles of overhead cables bringing power to homes and businesses. Keeping those lines clear of trees and vegetation is a never ending task for power distributors like Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN). The company is spending £25m a year surveying and clearing its lines. With climate change meaning longer growing seasons, the company that supplies power across Hampshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, says it is likely to become a bigger problem. Resource & Scheduling Manager Russell Turner explains: "On average, I think we forecast back in 2021, it was 1.2m of growth per year. "And that is only going to increase with climate change going the way that it's going."Growing seasons seem to mean that we're experiencing larger growth and of course we need to cut more to stay on top." SSEN is responsible for around 40,000 miles (64,267km) of overhead lines across the region. Each span, the distance between poles, is checked every three years for tree growth and obstructions. The south has the most densely vegetated the past two years, teams have surveyed 190,000 spans - the equivalent to 9,500 miles (15,288km). Out of those spans checked, 114,000 were identified as needing cutting. Jack Perrins is a Quality Safety Inspector. He is one of a team of 20 line walkers who physically check each span."I do about 20,000 steps a day," he says. "In the summer you can get out a bit earlier, it's lighter because you can't really do this job in the dark."I came from a tree cutting background so I understand the trees and I'm still outside, I'm still enjoying it."By walking the length of a line, Jack can spot problem areas as well as talk to landowners and identify access issues for cutting teams."The best way to do it is on foot," he says. "So although we do have Lidar, they don't pick up what is on the ground, what needs cutting, what the ground conditions are like. The best way to do it is on foot." The information gathered by the team of line walkers is passed on to utility arborists like Archie-blu Cupper: "We will have a circuit which we are given and we will work our way through that circuit. "We will start at one pole and then work our way through the entire line. Some of them can take weeks - it depends on how bad the growth is. "Once we are done with one circuit we will move on to the next circuit in the area and we're basically moving around chasing our tail essentially."Three point one million customers rely on SSEN's network in the south. If power is lost due to a fallen tree the company faces penalties from the regulator to the distributor, recent investment in line clearance has seen a 20% reduction in power cuts over the past 12 months. For the teams on the ground access to the power lines isn't always straight the company has emergency powers to get onto land to fix lines brought down by trees, day-to-day maintenance can prove more challenging."Land owner refusals is a big one – people don't want us on their land cutting their trees," says tree cutting manager Gary Ellcome."Crops in farmer's fields is a bit of a problem. "We have got to time cutting around that and a big one is bird-nesting season so we've got to be really careful."While technology is being developed to use satellites to identify tree species and monitor power lines, for now line walkers like Jack will continue to follow the network wherever it takes them. He says where the cables go the line walkers follow: "Over barbed wire fences, over ditches, rivers – we'll find a way and walk the route. "You go through many a sock." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
CBS News
29-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Sheep take on landscaping at Minnesota solar farm
Hundreds of sheep are hard at work this spring in central Minnesota — not on a farm, but beneath solar panels. At the Serco Solar Array in Clear Lake, more than 600 sheep are being used to manage vegetation around the 1,200-acre site. "We have 600 mews and all of them are with lambs, by the end of the summer we will have 1500 adult sheep and by the end of the project 7000 sheep," said Briana Beck with Minnesota Native Landscapes. Part of a growing relationship between Xcel Energy and MNL. The sheep graze between rows of solar panels, keeping grasses trimmed and allowing native prairie plants to thrive –— all without using gas powered equipment or herbicides. "Its really important for the health of the prairie, to get rid of that vegetation build up and also on solar sights for fire mitigation," said Beck. The sight itself is home to dozens of native prairie plants and flowers, one of which is essential to an endangered species. "Sundial Lupine, that's a legume species. It is the only known host plant for the Karner Blue Butterfly – Which is an endangered species," said Beck. "Its fantastic to see the lupine blooming out here." "MNL provides the seeds for the pollinator mix that we are using at the Sherco project," said Luke Molus, Head of Operations at Sherco Solar Array. The goal of the cooperation is to protect vulnerable prairie lands and animal species. While also keeping the land fertile for any future farming uses. "The top soil is pretty thin. Restoring the native prairie back to this area," said Molus. "It's actually going to help the topsoil become thicker and more healthy so that if the solar project gets decommissioned in say 30 years – If farmers do choose to come back, they'll actually have better soil to grow on,=." In the meantime, the field is part of Minnesota's broader effort to move away from fossil fuels. The Serco site will eventually try to replace the energy output once generated by the near-by Sherburne County Coal Plant. "Serco solar one is the first phase of the Serco solar project that Xcel is building to replace the Sherburne County Coal Plant," said Molus. "All three Serco projects will be a full replacement for the coal plant that retired back in 2023. Molus says that Serco Solar Array one is providing energy for 150,000 customers. Xcel Energy could expand the grazing project to other sites across the state in the coming years.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Low-flying helicopters over Michigan? Here's what's going on
ITC will conduct aerial patrols of transmission lines in Michigan starting Tuesday, May 27. According to a community announcement, the inspections will run through Monday, June 30, weather permitting. The helicopter patrols aim to assess the status of high-voltage transmission structures operated by ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC). The aerial inspections will cover nearly all of the Lower Peninsula. The schedule for the inspections is as follows: From May 27-30, areas including Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne will be inspected. From June 2-11, the patrols will extend to counties such as Bay, Genesee, Gratiot, Huron, Ingham, and others. The next phase from June 12-17 will include Allegan, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, and several more counties, including Monroe again. The next inspection period from June 18-21 will cover counties including Allegan, Clinton, and Kent. The last leg from June 24-30 will include Alcona, Alpena, and others. These patrols are required by the North American Electrical Reliability Corporation as part of ITC's vegetation management program. They support proactive maintenance objectives and align with the company's operational standards. Crews will check for damaged or worn equipment and vegetation hazards during these flights, which will be conducted at low altitudes for accurate visual inspections. Residents should not be alarmed if they see low-flying helicopters near transmission lines, as this is standard procedure. Monroe News is bringing you more local news: Here's how you can submit your announcements This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Helicopters will fly low across Michigan for power line checks
CBC
22-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
The art of the burn: How controlled fires in northeastern Alberta help mitigate wildfire risk
In the Wood Buffalo region, both municipal and provincial authorities have been conducting controlled burns, so that old vegetation won't become fuel for the next big fire.
