PECO is investing about $1.8 million in tree pruning along 315 miles of aerial electric lines in Montgomery County to improve electric service reliability for about 33,000 customers. Work will begin in early September and will continue through December. Preventive pruning around aerial power lines is vital to providing reliable electric service since vegetation causes about one-third of all electric outages.
Pruning will be performed in the Townships of East Norriton, Lower Merion, Lower Providence, Plymouth, Upper Merion, West Norriton, Worchester, and the Boroughs of Bridgeport, Conshohocken, Norristown, and West Conshohocken.
“Our goal is to reduce the number of tree-related outages and keep the lights on for our customers,” said Alex Brown, manager of Vegetation Management. “Preventive maintenance programs like tree pruning and other vegetation management play key roles in providing the safe and reliable electric service our customers expect.”
In 2013, PECO will invest approximately $33 million in its vegetation management program. This reliability initiative includes tree pruning and other vegetation removal around approximately 2,700 miles of aerial power lines on the PECO electric distribution and transmission system.
PECO’s vegetation management crews are trained in arboricultural pruning techniques, as defined in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 Standard. This standard takes into account the type and location of the tree in relation to the overhead wires and the overall health of the tree. PECO notifies property owners prior to work beginning in each community. Customers in areas where line clearance work is completed experience fewer outages and a significant improvement in electric service reliability.
