Dominion Energy, Anti-A300

     After substantial research and multiple interviews, it has been determined that Dominion Energy does not actually comply the A300 Standards for pruning trees. Although their trimming crews seem to genuinely believe they're following as required, it seems they have just been strategically misinformed. It's hardly as if these contractors are at fault but rather are on the wrong side of disrespect along with DE customers and the public. Furthermore, it would be a shame if the trimmers found themselves in the crosshairs of legal issues just for following orders.  

    The ANSI (American National Standards Institute) ASC (Accredited Standards Committee) have straightforward standards that take about an hour to read. The title of this post was inspired by this document and in consideration of how Dominion Energy crews leave trees. DE employees and the company's official website steadfastly claim that Team Dominion complies with the ANSI standards. 

    Yet, they do not, and it's obvious. 

    In nearly all the interviews conducted, it was discovered that the majority of the energy giant's employees and subcontractors overseeing and caring out these duties had never actually read the A300. Instead, these crews have consistently and repeatedly been directed to adhere to the company's in-house contract instead. Again, it really does appear as if the obedient laborers think they're complying. This seems like an example of a gigantic, well-connected company knowingly and willfully being dishonest because it's more convenient.

An example of how Dominion Energy
hacked one tree in Summerville, SC,
blatant non-compliance 

    As an example, in one discussion with a company Vice President (Transmission and Delivery), the interviewer was underwhelmed to hear this executive casually excuse Dominion's misrepresentations. Like the snarky captain in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, this VP laughed as he called the A300 Standards "just guidelines," rather than something Team DE needed to be aware of. For this fella, compliance appeared to be something of a joke, important to folks at the company headquarters, but not to him and his coworkers.

    Multiple letters to the Dominion Energy Chair, President, and CEO Mr. Robert M. Blue were written and sent to Richmond, Virginia last year to address this disconnect. However, the online statement about Dominion Energy complying with the A300 adherence, one to be updated or removed, remains unchanged and untrue. See Dom. Energy Trees, Trimming, and Power Lines. 

    If Dominion Energy can't be trusted with something easy to understand and follow, like the A300 Standard, how can we have confidence they'll be capable of managing more difficult challenges or shoot straight during an emergency?

Revised/Edited: 4-27-26