Overview

As the leading cause of electric service interruptions in North America, vegetation (i.e., trees, vines) requires regular maintenance to reduce unplanned outages. Many state regulatory entities have adopted the National Electric Safety Code (NESC), including vegetation management standards, aimed at ensuring electric system reliability. Electric utility providers in Texas are required by state law to follow the NESC.

Each year TNMP prunes and removes thousands of trees, cuts vines and brush, and applies herbicides and plant growth regulators to prevent service disruptions. This comprehensive follows integrated vegetation management (IVM) principles that employ the most appropriate and effective plant control methods available.

System Resiliency Plan

Vegetation Management is also one of the key mandates and focus areas of TNMP’s 2025 – 2027 System Resiliency Plan (SRP); a plan approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas that emphasizes and provides funding mechanisms for robust, risk-based vegetation management programs. The goal is to prevent trees from causing outages, especially during severe weather events. These SRP efforts are in addition to TNMP’s annual operating plan.

Access to Your Property

TNMP employees and contractors may need to access your property to prune or remove trees and to perform other work to repair or prevent power outages. We will attempt to contact you before entering your property, but it may be necessary - particularly during an outage or an emergency - to begin work on your property before alerting you.

Section 5.4.8 of TNMP's retail delivery service tariff, which is approved by the state Public Utility Commission:

5.4.8 ACCESS TO RETAIL CUSTOMER’S PREMISES

Company’s duly authorized representatives have the right of access to Retail Customer’s Premises at all reasonable hours, or at any hour if for the sole purpose of restoring Delivery Service, to: inspect, erect, install, maintain, upgrade, convert, remove, or replace Company’s wiring apparatus and other facilities; read the Meter; and perform other activities necessary to provide Delivery Service, including tree trimming and tree removal where such trees in the opinion of Company constitute a hazard to Company personnel or facilities, or to the provision of continuous Delivery Service, provided, however, that such representatives comply with all applicable site-specific safety requirements which have been communicated by Retail Customer in writing to Company. Such personnel must exhibit a photo-identification badge to gain access. Failure to provide access may result in suspension of Delivery Service and/or additional charges under the appropriate Commission approved Tariff that shall be billed to Retail Customer’s designated Competitive Retailer. Company shall notify Retail Customer’s designated Competitive Retailer of Retail Customer’s failure to provide access. Retail Customer shall not grant access to the facilities of Company and the Meter except to authorized Company representatives.