Dive Summary:
- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the North American Electric Reliability Corp.'s (NERC) proposed rules for vegetation management.
- FERC said the new rule "require clear communication between transmission owners and private landowners" as to how they can "execute vegetation management along the right-of-way."
- The new rule institutes a new annual inspection requirement, establishes new minimum clearance distances and extends vegetation management rules to encompass transmission lines running at below 200 kilovolts that are vulnerable to system instability or cascading power outages.
From the article:
"... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has taken steps to ensure continued reliable operation of the nation’s bulk power system by approving new rules for managing vegetation along power line rights of way.
In approving rules proposed by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), the Commission noted that vegetation management does not necessarily mean removal of trees, and that transmission owners should work with landowners to determine an appropriate approach that assures reliability and respects private land owner concerns. ..."