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Trees growing under power lines hurt power reliability (and trees!)
I support Oberlin's municipally owned power system. As residents and customers we benefit from OMLPS' attractive electricity rates and customer service. OMLPS has great employees and I think they did a fantastic job recovereing from the Northeast Blackout this year. But OMLPS customers do still suffer from the occasional power outage; a major cause is storm damage, usually tree branches falling against power lines.
This is more likely to happen when the trees are growing into the power lines. Trees and power lines don't mix, so Oberlin must spend money every year to trim street trees that are growing directly underneath power lines. This necessary task often results in a short, disfigured tree. This situation isn't healthy for power lines or trees. The tree on the left below got the center cut out of it two years ago; it looks terrible, and it will need another trim next year!
We need to either stop planting street trees directly under power lines or move the lines underground. Underground wiring is the best solution because it is safer, more reliable, and more attractive; this is why underground wiring is used in newly constructed subdivisions. Howver, the cost of moving existing aboveground wires underground is substantial, so I think we should only look into underground wiring when the street is to be opened up for other long-term infrastructure upgrades. (An example of such an upgrade is the water and sewer project currently underway on South Street.)
Even if the city does try to move lines underground as part of a long-term plan, it will be many, many years before the task is complete. In the meantime, the city should investigate planting trees on the other side of the sidewalk. While the city's planting authority extends only to the tree lawn, I believe that many residents, if asked, would allow the city to plant street trees in their yard and out from underneath the power lines. With the tree a bit further from the sidewalk than is possible on the tree lawn, sidewalks would buckle less frequently. This would spare residents the cost and inconvenience of having their sidewalks redone.