Increased safety, sustainability and shade along with reducing the urban heat island impact are at the root of SRP’s Right Tree Right Place program. The initiative, which is a partnership between SRP and the communities it serves, grew from an ongoing need for crews to trim or remove thousands of trees each year because they encroach on power lines.
Trees growing near power lines present various safety hazards and threaten power reliability. Branches that come into contact with power lines can cause outages or even spark fires. This usually results from wind or stormy weather. In addition, direct or indirect contact with overhead or underground power lines during tree and shrub trimming and/or removal poses a risk of electrocution. The dangerous nature of the task means it’s best to seek assistance, including contacting the experts for line marking before digging.
Right Tree Right Place helps protect and preserve the integrity of SRP’s electrical lines and power delivery while keeping communities safe. It also furthers the organization’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. For each tree that is removed, SRP crews plant two or three new trees in areas such as parks, schoolyards, along roadways and in other public spaces. This bolsters free shade offerings, captures carbon in the air and helps reduce the urban heat island effect – all while creating greener, more beautiful communities.
New trees taking root
Since its launch in 2018, Right Tree Right Place has removed more than 1,000 trees that were threatening safety and power reliability in cities across the Valley. In return, nearly 3,500 new trees have been planted in safe, more appropriate areas. SRP partners with a different city in its service area each year. Past partnerships have included Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, Avondale, Peoria and Scottsdale.
Free shade trees help customers save
Residential power customers who plant trees around their homes can benefit from energy-savings like cooler indoor temperatures and reduced cooling costs through our SRP Shade Tree Program™. Customers can receive two complimentary desert-friendly trees (four- to six-foot saplings) after attending a free workshop on planting and caring for the trees. Our goal is to distribute over 5,000 new trees to residential customers each year through the program.