We the undersigned property owners served by ONCOR Electric Delivery respectfully request that the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC)consider changes to the Texas Public Utilities Regulation Act (PURA) which would minimize the current problems with property owners and their trees by following the lead of other forward thinking states and communities around the nation. States such as Oklahoma or communities such as Nashville, Tennessee established regulations that not only minimize conflicts and the negative conflicts and the negative impact to tree health due to trimming;they also ensure more reliable electric service to all consumers.

Current regulation under PURA allows poor quality service to the consumer by electric providers and their sub contractors which created animosity in a community as well as trees that are damaged needlessly. In Nashville, a forester meets with as many property owners as possible to avoid potential conflicts and the distance a tree is trimmed from the wires is based on the species of tree, its age and current growth rate as well the amount of voltage in the wires. PURA allows electric providers to set their own line clearance distance rather than adjusting the clearance according to the given circumstances and a current knowledge of tree growth rates in a region by a professional. If an older tree is growing an average of three inches of tip growth per year,ten feet of clearance(currently required by ONCOR) allows for forty years of growth before it would contact the power line again. The result is extensive damage to the tree, animosity amongst consumers and further loss of foliage which helps to provide clean air for the public.

We, the undersigned firmly believe it is time to stop the constant problems and damage created by PURA and demand resolution of these issues by the PUC.