Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the City of Saratoga have been working together to make the most of the space below high voltage transmission lines that run between Saratoga Sunnyvale Road and Saratoga Avenue. The corridor houses critical PG&E 230-kilovolt transmission lines that transfer electricity from power plants across the western United States. Since 2007, Federal standards require PG&E to maintain its transmission rights-of-ways with zero vegetation-related outages intended to prevent large scale power outages and uphold public safety.  

Along Joe's Trail at Saratoga DeAnza, PG&E will be completing safety and reclamation activities including the establishment of a power-line friendly landscape. To ensure the safety and reliability of these critical lines, PG&E will be removing trees and other vegetation that does not comply with clearance zone requirements starting the week of August 1, 2011.  

PG&E and the City of Saratoga share the same appreciation for trees as home and business owners, for the benefits and beauty they provide to the community and landscape.Some of this area will be landscaped with plants and trees that can be safely located within transmission rights-of-way, provide nearby residents with a privacy screen and beautify the trail. Some of the area will be planted with species that are native to Saratoga and will thrive within the region’s climate band. 

PG&E and the City are working with the “Pollinator Partnership,” a San Francisco based non-profit organization, to further refine the planting list to attract and support wild pollinators. The area designated to be landscaped will be finished this fall at approximately the same time as Joe’s Trail at Saratoga DeAnza.

Information about PG&E's vegetation management practices is availalble on the PG&E website.