north arkansas electric cooperative
Clear right-of-way vital to reliable service Power lines and trees can be a dangerous combination if they come into contact. Trees touching — or worse, falling into — power lines cause outages or blinks and also create safety hazards for line personnel and the public. That's why North Arkansas Electric Cooperative considers regular maintenance of its right-of-way — the land below, above and on either side of the power lines — to be vital in providing members with reliable electric service. NAEC personnel and contractors work to maintain a minimum clearance of 15 feet on either side of our power lines, including service drops to member’s homes and businesses. "In addition to increasing our right-of-way easement to 60 feet in past years, we have made a concerted effort to remove as many trees and vegetation from under our lines as possible," said James Woody, vice president of operations. "For reliability and safety purposes, we ask members not to plant trees and shrubs near our lines."
Maintaining the right-of-way through treetrimming and removal is not only NAEC’s responsibility, but it also is required of the coop by the Arkansas Public Service Commission and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition to considering the mature height of trees before planting, members can help NAEC maintain the right-of-way and keep their electricity service reliable by: • Calling NAEC at 870-895-3221 if a dead tree is in danger of falling on NAEC’s lines or if branches are touching the lines. • Keeping the area on either side of NAEC’s lines or equipment clear of vehicles, deer stands, buildings and other structures. • Considering the placement of fences and gates within the easement, as NAEC personnel and contractors will need access to the lines and equipment for maintenance and outage-restoration purposes.
PLANTTrees TREES SAFELY Plant SafelyAlways call 811 to locate buried lines. Before you dig, call 811 to locate buried utility lines.
NO TREE ZONE
MEDIUM TREE ZONE
LARGE TREE ZONE
Avoid planting shrubs or trees within 30 feet of the power lines. Any vegetation taller than 10 feet will be trimmed or removed.
Plant medium trees (under 40 feet when mature) at least 30 feet away from power lines.
Plant large trees (over 40 feet when mature) at least 50 feet away from lines.
Keep objects at least 10 feet away from transformer doors and 4 feet away from sides. 4 ft.
10 ft.
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10 ft.
NOVEMBER 2022 NORTH ARKANSAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
20 ft.
30 ft.
40 ft.
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Save electricity with simple tips this Thanksgiving •
Keep pots and pans covered on the stove to prevent heat loss. • Microwaves, slow cookers, air fryers and other small appliances use less energy than ovens and stoves. • Make sure leftovers completely cool before putting them in the refrigerator. Hot items can affect the refrigerator’s temperature, causing it to work harder to keep cool. • Using a dishwasher is more efficient than washing dishes by hand. • Lower your water heater use by scraping off plates into the garbage rather than sink. • Change out incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs. • Keep lights off in unused rooms. For more ways to save energy, visit energy.gov. NAEC energy advisers also can offer suggestions.
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Thanksgiving is about making delicious food and spending quality time with loved ones, but it also can be a time of higher energy usage that leads to a higher electric bill. With a few adjustments, you can save energy and help to lower your electric bill with these tips: • Maximize your oven’s heat by keeping the door closed. Use the oven light rather than opening the door, which can lower the temperature by several degrees in just a few seconds. • Turn the oven off a few minutes before the timer goes off. The oven will stay hot enough to finish cooking your dish. • Use glass and ceramic dishes, which retain heat better than metal dishes and allow you to reduce your oven temperature as much as 25 degrees.
When streaming video or learning remotely, you and your family need high-speed, reliable internet. NEXT, Powered by NAEC fits the bill with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. Subscribe today! Internet starts at just $49.95 a month. 870-895-3221 | mynextfiber.com
More co-op news on page 26
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north arkansas electric cooperative
Classic raises $20,000 for scholarships With the support of NAEC’s vendors and local businesses, the Operation Round Up® Golf Classic raised $20,000 for the co-op’s scholarship program. Twenty-five teams competed for cash prizes in the scramble, which was held at the Cherokee Village South Golf Course on Oct. 6. Course sponsors included: AECI Utility Sales & Services, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp., Fiber-Tel Contractors Inc., Huxford Pole & Timber Co., MSTN Transformers and Roese. Silver sponsors included: Anstaff Bank, Arvest Bank, FNBC, Inside Information, Techline and Commscope. Members can help by having their bill "rounded up" to the next dollar through Operation Round Up. Call 870-895-3221 to join the program.
THANK YOU, VETERANS. On Nov. 11 and all days, let us honor those who served.
Happy Thanksgiving! NAEC’s offices will be closed Nov. 24-25. Personnel will be on call in the event of an outage.
POLE INSPECTIONS — NAEC contractor Osmose is inspecting poles in Henderson, Viola and surrounding areas through December. Employees will drive trucks and wear apparel with the Osmose logo. Inspections help prevent future outages. 22 26 NOVEMBER 2022 NORTH ARKANSAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE