An Easement is a legal right to use another party’s property for a specific purpose.

Chugach obtains easements using a legal document signed by the landowner, allowing installation, access and maintenance of electrical facilities. Easements vary in width, depending on facilities installed and are usually along property boundaries.

General Easements are non-specific in location and cover an initial facility installation anywhere on a grantee’s property. The General Easement is usually later replaced by a Specific Easement, which as the name implies, describes an easement directly on electrical facilities.

Easements are also created through the platting process, when a property is subdivided.

Right of Way (ROW) is an easement more routinely described on public property and accommodates long, linear infrastructure such as pipelines, highways and rail lines.

Both terms Easement and ROW can and have been used interchangeably to describe land rights for electrical facilities. 

Remember, keeping your easements clear allows Chugach crews to safely and easily access overhead and underground lines in an emergency. Chugach routinely clears vegetation from easements and ROWs, including danger trees outside of the ROW that pose a threat to facilities. Grass is the best landscaping to use within easements and ROWs. Learn more about our ROW Clearing program.

Requests to release Chugach easements by document may be reviewed by Engineering on a case by case basis to determine if the easement is needed. Chugach cannot release platted easements, which require a formal process by the Municipality of Anchorage or Borough officials.

Proposed or existing non-permanent items, such as standard fencing or landscaping plants may be acknowledged formally by Chugach with a letter of non-objection. Fencing should follow easement or lot lines and maintain a minimum safe distance from electrical facilities.

For the safety of the public and our crews, no permanent structures are allowed within electrical or utility easements. This includes items such as buildings, homes, sheds, garages, decks, stairs, wells, septic systems, walkways and retaining walls.

That said, if an existing or proposed structure is located in or proposed to encroach into an easement, with or without electric facilities, Chugach will review the site to determine if an Encroachment Permit can be issued. The existing or proposed structure must first meet NESC (National Electrical Safety Code) clearance requirements.