Austin Energy is required by law to trim trees near power lines. But residents in three neighborhoods accuse the company of being too loose with regulations, specifically, cutting down old trees.
Neighborhood associations have been fighting Austin Energy for years, saying their policy destroys the look of their neighborhood.
"Unfortunately, at times, it does affect some very beautiful old trees and the neighborhoods get very upset," spokesman Juan Garza said.
Carolyn Palaima lives in the Hancock neighborhood. She found that Austin Energy has very little oversight concerning its tree-trimming policy.
Part of what concerns her is that Austin Energy cuts down 80- to 100-year-old trees.
Right now, if more than 30 percent of a tree needs trimming, Austin Energy cuts the entire tree down. By law, Austin Energy must maintain an 11-to-13 foot clearance between tree limbs and city power lines.
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Tree-trimming
A task force will consider alternatives to chopping down trees in the path of power lines.
 
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Palaima said cutting those trees down does more than just hurt property values. She said it increases cooling costs, water usage and lessens her ability to enjoy the yard.
At Thursday's city council meeting, members unanimously approved a task force to find better options.
"We all love trees, and understand the necessities to keep the city beautiful," Garza said. "We just have to find a way to work together to get this done."
Palaima offered the option of burying power lines, but Garza said underground power lines would cost the city billions of dollars.
"To say this is the only way to you can secure safe power lines...what we're saying is well, maybe not. We don't have the information on the table to say that at this point. And Austin Energy has not shown the information to justify this type of program," Palaima said.
The new task force will be a joint venture between Austin Energy, neighbors and tree experts. One thing the task force plans to do is hold a national competition to find new and economical ways to bury power lines underground. They'll have 60 days to come up with a preliminary plan. A final plan could take months.
