Partner with us to help ensure your customers remain happy with their landscaping decisions.

Whether landscaping a newly built home or advising do-it-yourself homeowners on landscape purchases, remember to plan for overhead and underground utility clearances when selecting trees or shrubs.

• Determine where overhead lines, underground lines and underground pad-mounted transformers are located in the yard.
• Before digging, call MISS DIG at 811 to locate all underground utilities. The service is free. Just call three full workdays in advance.
• Plant trees and shrubs based on growth habits and mature size. Trees that grow 25 feet or higher should not be planted near power lines.
• Maintain an 8-foot clearance at the front of the underground transformer cabinets for electrical maintenance. Two feet is needed at the sides and rear. Be sure to consider how far the landscaping will spread as it matures. We must trim or remove vegetation or structures that encroach on these clearances.

By finding the right spot to plant landscaping now, you can help your customers avoid disappointment later on. Tree limbs, which can knock down or come in contact with power lines, are the most common cause of power outages. We routinely trim trees that grow into power lines as part of our ongoing preventive maintenance program, so plan accordingly.