Why Northern Lights Needs Access to Your Property
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Northern Lights’ electrical system stretches through forest, mountain terrain, and far from the public roadways in North Idaho and Western Montana. Delivering reliable electricity requires access to thousands of miles of power lines, poles, transformers, and other equipment. Some are on private roads and property.
That’s 1 reason keeping utility easements accessible is so important.
An easement gives Northern Lights certain legal rights to use and access a portion of private property for utility purposes. The property belongs to the landowner, but the easement allows Northern Lights employees and authorized contractors to access the electrical system to construct, inspect, maintain, repair, and replace equipment.
Easements also provide the space needed to safely operate the electric grid and manage trees and vegetation that could interfere with power lines and equipment.
Because power lines frequently cross multiple properties, access to infrastructure on 1 property can affect electric service for many other members.
This access is needed for inspecting and maintaining the system and is especially important during outages. Before crews can repair a damaged line, replace a broken pole, or reach a transformer, they first need to get to it.
Crews may need to reach remote sections of line quickly, and they often need to bring more than a truck. Bucket trucks, digger derricks, excavators, and other heavy equipment may be necessary to remove damaged equipment, set new poles, and make repairs. Crews need enough room to safely reach the work area and operate equipment.
A locked gate, blocked private road, fence, parked vehicle, new structure, or other obstruction can make access difficult and potentially delay restoration.
Members can help by making sure access isn’t blocked and considering utility access when installing or changing fences, gates or locks. This may mean allowing NLI to “daisy chain” a lock or providing NLI a gate code.
An easement doesn’t mean Northern Lights owns your property. Property owners can generally continue using land within an easement as long as that use doesn’t interfere with the cooperative’s easement rights, electrical facilities, or safe access. Before installing a fence, planting trees, changing the grade, or making other significant changes near cooperative infrastructure, contact Northern Lights.
A tree that looks small today can eventually grow into overhead lines. A fence or structure may prevent a bucket truck from reaching a pole. Changes in grade can affect underground electrical facilities. Even landscaping can create difficulties if it blocks access to equipment.
Checking with Northern Lights ahead of time can help avoid safety concerns, unnecessary expense, and the possibility that something placed within an easement will interfere with utility operations.
By working together, we can help keep Northern Lights employees and contractors safe, reduce delays, and maintain the reliable electric service our members and communities depend on.
Contact Northern Lights before you build, plant, or make changes near electrical equipment.
Northern Lights Engineering and Operations Manager Kristin Burge is an electrical engineer and has worked in the electric utility industry for most of her career.
