Arizona public power utility Salt River Project has partnered with the City of Tempe, Arizona, to improve power reliability and safety through its Right Tree, Right Place program.
This year’s effort focused on Tempe neighborhoods still recovering from severe microbursts in Fall 2025 that destroyed more than 500 trees on city property alone.
"Tempe lost many beloved trees during last fall's storms, and we are grateful to collaborate with SRP to restore greenery in our parks and along our streets," said Tempe City Councilmember Jennifer Adams. "SRP's Right Tree, Right Place program strengthens our power reliability while thoughtfully rebuilding our tree canopy. I launched the Trees for Tempe program three years ago because I’m passionate about planting new trees across our community, and I’m proud to work with our partners to increase shade through initiatives like this."
SRP removed 35 trees growing too close to power lines and planted 108 trees in public parks, green spaces, along streets and near city buildings. SRP worked with the City of Tempe to identify which trees to remove and where to plant new trees.
"This partnership offers the opportunity to expand the city's tree canopy while helping SRP maintain the power grid,” said Richard Adkins, Urban Forester, City of Tempe. “Working together, we can manage and grow a sustainable tree canopy, providing a better quality of life for residents".
The Right Tree, Right Place program helps SRP and municipalities across the Valley reduce the risk of safety hazards and power reliability issues caused by trees growing too close to power lines. These trees can cause power outages during storms and pose safety threats to linemen and other workers.
“Preparing for summer is a year-round process,” said Matthew Goodnight, SRP Manager of Vegetation Management and Maintenance. “This year, Right Tree, Right Place is supporting a community that saw significant damage from last year’s storms. We can’t perfectly predict storm severity, but we can be proactive by removing trees that pose potential threats to our lines and re-planting trees more thoughtfully to improve reliability and safety.”
The program also increases central Arizona’s tree canopy and reduces the heat island effect by providing additional shade in outdoor public spaces.
SRP has partnered with other Valley cities including Avondale, Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Mesa and Apache Junction. Since the program began in 2018, SRP has removed more than 1,400 trees and planted more than 4,650 new trees. Tree removals began on Feb. 23.
SRP’s Vegetation Management team inspects and trims trees around the Valley on an ongoing basis to support power reliability and safety.
SRP works with customers and the community to identify trees and other vegetation that may pose a risk to lines, and SRP strategically trims, prunes or removes that vegetation.
