Santa Clara residents play an important role in maintaining our urban forest with much of it made up of private trees and over 10,500 street trees. These trees are an important part of our landscape and can grow in and around power lines. With proper care from property owners, we can keep our forest strong and minimize the risk of power outages and safety hazards. Here are some recommendations and resources that will help you care for your trees on your property.

• Maintaining existing trees
• Planting new trees
• What to do in an emergency
• What you can do to help reduce the risk of an emergency situation
• Approved trees for planting

Maintaining existing trees

• It is the responsibility of the property owner to properly prune and maintain existing trees on your property.
  • Property owners should confirm which trees on their property are City or privately owned before having any work done. City owned trees are maintained by the City. To find out if your tree is a city tree or privately owned, email street@santaclaraca.gov or call 615-615-3080. Privately owned trees are maintained by the property owner.
• If a tree has grown in or around a power line, do not attempt to prune the tree yourself. Instead, call Silicon Valley Power at 408-615-5640. A high voltage qualified tree trimmer will be dispatched to remove the branches from the power line so that the homeowner or tree service can continue to prune and maintain the tree safely.

Planting new trees

• Before you begin to dig a hole in your yard, always call 811 to ensure the safety of underground utilities.
• It is not advised to plant trees near or under a power line. Once your new tree has fully matured, branches could grow in and around the power lines which could cause outages if not properly maintained.
• Know the zones. It is important to know which zone you are planting in and what types of tress and heights are approved for planting.
  • Low zone – This zone is directly under the power lines and extends 20 feet out from the electrical wires. Tree planting in this area is not recommended and should be avoided. If you do plan to plant a tree in this area, tree heights are limited to a maximum of 25 feet. See approved trees for this zone.
  • Medium zone – This zone extends 30 feet from the low zone. Tree heights are limited to a maximum of 35 feet. Pruning may eventually become necessary to avoid interference with power lines. Planting trees that will become tall enough or expand on or near power lines should always be avoided. See approved trees for this zone.
  • Tall zone – This zone begins 50 feet from the electrical lines. There is no maximum height. If trees grow and expand near or on power lines, they will need to be pruned and maintained. 

What to do in an emergency

• If you see fire or sparks, stand back and call 911 immediately.
• If a branch has fallen into the power line, stand back and call SVP at 408-615-5640 to dispatch a high voltage qualified tree trimmer to repair the issue safely so that you or your tree service can continue to shape and maintain your tree.

What you can do to help reduce the risk of an emergency situation

• Plant the right tree in the right place. If you must plant trees near power lines, make sure the maximum mature tree height is 25 feet. See list of approved trees [link]
• Do not climb trees and prevent children from climbing trees near power lines.
• Prune trees before they become too close to electric lines. Do not prune trees near electric lines. If you’re unsure, call SVP first to inspect the trees.
• Inspect the trees on your property annually for hazards. For expert advice on tree health or hazards, consult a certified arborist.

Approved trees

The following list of trees are approved for planting in the vicinity of electrical lines.

Low Zone

Medium Zone