A helicopter and heavy-duty air saw will be used by American Transmission Co. (ATC), to trim trees along transmission lines in eastern Wisconsin in Maarch. ATC has contracted with Aerial Solutions, Inc., a company that specializes in aerial tree management along transmission line corridors. The helicopters are equipped with heavy-duty air saws with rotary blades suspended on a 90-ft vertical boom. In some areas, ground crews will be performing additional vegetation removal work this year.
“We’ll be using the helicopter and air saw to side trim trees at the edge of the right-of-way,” said Ben Gura, ATC senior vegetation management specialist. “This work will help us ensure the safe and reliable operation of the electric system.”
Tree trimming will occur along a 345-kV line that runs from the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in northeastern Manitowoc County, Wis., west across southern Brown County to west of Wrightstown, Wis. Trees also will be trimmed along a 345-kV line that extends from Sheboygan, Wis., southwest of Fond du Lac, Wis. Because the work is weather-dependent, flight schedules will vary and may extend later into March.
Managing the growth of trees and other vegetation is crucial to helping ensure public safety and electric system reliability. ATC performs routine vegetation management on its 9,480 miles of transmission lines in five-year cycles.
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