Dominion Energy Begins Removing Nearly 200 Palmetto Trees

Dominion Energy and the City of Charleston have started removing nearly 200 palmetto trees near power lines in the Eastside neighborhood. The work is part of the Right Tree, Right Place partnership, and Charleston said it will plant five new trees for each palmetto removed.

Eastside tree removal

Mika Gadsden, Charleston’s director of sustainability, said the city’s urban forestry team does not treat each tree as a routine call. “Our urban forestry team works hand-in-hand to figure out, ‘is pruning appropriate or is there a removal measure that might need to be taken?’” she said.

She also said, “Those decisions don’t happen lightly… and we don’t want to stoke fear. We just think that being proactive, we think that some preventative measures will help save folks a lot of distress and a lot of inconvenience.”

The removals began in Eastside, where the city and Dominion are targeting palmetto trees that stand near electrical lines. City officials said palmetto trees cannot be cut or pruned, and they said the trees can pose a hazard to electrical lines once they reach 15 feet.

Charleston and Dominion Energy

Gadsden said, “We are fortunate enough to have an amazing Urban Forestry Team that helps us guide those decisions and work hand-in-hand with our residents, whether that be individual homeowners or neighborhood associations.” She also said, “Dominion has been a strategic partner in helping us plant the right tree in the right place.”

Paul Fischer, a Dominion Energy spokesman, said trees are the number one cause of power outages across the system. That is the operational reason the removals are tied to the start of Hurricane Preparedness Month in May, when the city and utility are trying to reduce risk before severe weather arrives.

Five new trees

Charleston said it will plant five new trees for each palmetto removed, keeping the project tied to replacement planting rather than a one-for-one tradeoff. The city’s pitch is direct: remove trees that threaten power lines, then rebuild the canopy elsewhere with species that fit the space.

For Eastside residents, the immediate change is visible now: crews have begun taking down palmettos near the lines, and the replacement plan is already set. The city and Dominion are asking residents to accept fewer risky trees in the right places and more planting where the trees can grow without interfering with electrical service.