From staff reports
Penelec plans to spend $38 million to trim trees along nearly 4,200 miles of power lines this year, including stretches in Franklin, Oil City, Rocky Grove, Cranberry, Cherrytree Township, Knox, and Marienville.
Since the beginning of the year, tree contractors have trimmed along about 700 miles of power lines in the Penelec service area as part of the company’s $37.7 million vegetation management program for 2022.
Penelec’s program remains on track to complete an additional 3,500 miles of work by the end of the year.
Conducted on a four-year cycle, the tree-trimming program includes inspecting vegetation near the lines to ensure trees are pruned in a manner that helps preserve the health of the tree while also maintaining safe clearances around electrical equipment. Trees that present a danger or are diseased may be removed.
“People don’t always appreciate it when we trim the trees along our power line rights of way; however, it is one of the best tools we have to help keep the lights on because trees coming into contact with our lines are a leading cause of electrical service interruptions,” said Todd Meyers, a senior communications specialist with the energy company. “In the case of severe weather, it is essential to have clear and easy access to our equipment for our crews to make repairs to more quickly restore power,” he added.
The vegetation management work is conducted by qualified line clearance arborists under the company’s direction.
Penelec serves about 585,000 customers within 17,600 square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania.
