Tree Pruning
To maintain safe and reliable electric service, MGE's ISA certified arborists work with a contractor to prune trees and remove saplings that are close to, or may grow into, our electric lines. In general, we follow these guidelines:
- Trees are pruned every four to five growing seasons.
- Each tree is assessed individually for the amount of pruning needed to make safe clearance from the lines. The species, location and wire type are all taken into account and can affect the amount of pruning.
- Electric service lines (pole to house wires) will be checked for tree conflicts at the same time; only small branches making hard contact or deflecting the wire path will be pruned.
- We follow International Society of Arboriculture, American National A300 Pruning Standards. Our ISA certified arborists are looking for signs of disease, such as Emerald Ash Borer, while we are working in local neighborhoods to ensure we aren't spreading invasive pests or potential disease to other areas.
- Oak trees are pruned in the dormant season, generally between November 1 and April 1, when there is little danger of oak wilt infection.
If you see trees or branches that are touching power lines, please call MGE at 608-252-7000. Do NOT attempt to remove the tree branch or limbs close to power lines on your own.
Notification and pruning process
When an area is due for pruning, residents with overhead electric lines will receive an MGE postcard or door hanger to notify them that an arborist will be in the neighborhood soon.
MGE arborists will assess all the lines in that area for pruning and/or sapling removal. If your property or trees need pruning or if you have saplings to be removed, the arborist will hang a door card to notify you of the intended work. If we must remove a tree, we will ask for your permission.
We will haul away and chip brush and woody debris; if large branches are pruned, the wood is left on-site for your use as firewood. An arborist will discuss any possible firewood with you prior to pruning.
If you have a tree you would like removed that is near MGE lines, we recommend contacting a residential tree services contractor first.
When storms or other emergencies cause damage, MGE will clear broken, uprooted or otherwise damaged trees and branches from our facilities to make the situation safe for restoration of your electric service. We do not make finishing pruning cuts on broken branches we have removed. Some situations may require disconnection of the wire and a temporary loss of power for the work to be done quickly and safely.
Our goal is to restore power as quickly and safely as possible; oftentimes, power cannot be restored until broken or damaged trees are removed from our facilities. Since restoring power is our main priority, we are unable to move, remove or chip brush or wood related to storm or emergency tree pruning.
Landscaping Tips
Smart planting and landscaping can help prevent interference between trees and power lines and other electric facilities.
See our tipsCall Before You Dig
Contact Diggers Hotline at least three business days before you start a planting project.
Dig safe