Electric utilities face challenges from tree related outages, which remain one of the most significant drivers of service interruptions across distribution systems. These outages already impose high reliability and resilience costs today, and the combination of aging infrastructure, evolving vegetation conditions, and intensifying climate stressors is expected to increase this risk in many regions. Vegetation management is one of the most resource intensive and operationally complex tools available for reducing outage risk, yet its effectiveness varies widely across geographies, forest types, weather regimes, and utility practices. Given the scale of investment required, utilities need a clear and evidence-based understanding of how vegetation management affects outage rates under current conditions, how these effects may change as the climate evolves, and how vegetation management compares to or interacts with other adaptation strategies. This report provides a foundation for understanding tree failures, their interactions with overhead distribution electric infrastructure, and the factors that influence how vegetation management can help reduce outages during storms, both today and in a changing climate moving forward.
Authors Laura Fischer, et al.