Trees near power lines

A tree growing into a line is the one tree job a homeowner shouldn't start. Here's who owns the wire, what Georgia law says about working near it, and what Georgia Power and North Georgia EMC publish about trees.

Whose line is it?

North Georgia EMC serves seven northwest Georgia counties including Floyd, with about 108,000 meters as of May 2026. Georgia Power also has lines and rights-of-way in the state. The name on the power bill tells you which one to call.

The 10-foot rule

Under Georgia's High-Voltage Safety Act, work can't begin where a person or object may come within ten feet of a line carrying more than 750 volts until notice has gone to the Utilities Protection Center (811) and the line owner has guarded against contact. The notice has to be given at least 72 hours ahead, excluding weekends and holidays.

What Georgia Power says

• Professional tree contractors prune and remove trees on its behalf, following ANSI and ISA pruning standards.
• How often a tree is pruned depends on its growth rate and how close it is to the line, not a fixed schedule.
• It may remove trees that are a risk to service and public safety.
• Wood chips from its trimming are available to residents when crews are in the area.
• Storm debris cleanup is the property owner's responsibility.
• On transmission rights-of-way, only plants with a published mature height of 15 feet or less may go in, and it asks to be contacted before planting.

What North Georgia EMC says

• It trims and treats more than 6,500 miles of line on a five-year cycle.
• Many outages come from trees outside its maintained rights-of-way falling onto lines; its vegetation team identifies hazardous trees and works with owners to remove them.
• Never try to trim vegetation on or near overhead lines.
• Never plant trees under or near overhead lines; check a tree's mature height and spread first, and call 811 before digging.