What to Know Before You Plant

While maintaining and improving reliable electric service to our members is DEC's mission, our priority is always to do so in as safe a manner as possible. A simple way for members to help us keep our employees and contractors safe is by following the Co-op's rules on planting near electrical equipment, such as transformer boxes and power pedestals. According to our regulations (which can be found on our website), members cannot plant within ten feet (10') in front of electrical equipment, nor within five feet (5') on either side or behind it — including the space around the equipment's corners. By not planting within these parameters, you eliminate a potential hazard for our crews, who could cut or puncture their protective equipment on vegetation. In the event of an outage, this also ensures our employees can restore power as quickly as possible by allowing them clear access to our equipment. As planting season quickly approaches, be sure to adhere to these planting regulations — maintaining the safety of Co-op employees is a team effort!