If the line maintenance staff is too large, might a utility CEO question the expenditures on line clearance due to few tree-related outages?

A utility CEO may indeed question the expenditures on line clearance if the line maintenance staff is too large and there are few tree-related outages. This scenario implies that the expenses associated with maintaining a large workforce may not justify the low incidence of outages caused by trees. In essence, if the demand for tree-related maintenance and clearance does not correspond with the size of the crew employed for this task, it raises valid concerns regarding the allocation of resources and overall efficiency.

The CEO’s focus is often on operational efficiency and cost management, hence, a disproportionate ratio of staffing to actual occurrences of tree-related outages would prompt scrutiny over whether such high expenditures are truly necessary. This situation could lead to a reevaluation of staffing levels, potentially resulting in cost reductions or reallocations to improve operational productivity.