$2.8M PECO Tree-Trimming Project Includes Upper Dublin

If you notice tree trimmers around the neighborhood, there’s a good chance they’re working for PECO.

The utility company is working to complete a $2.8 million tree trimming and vegetation removal project along 382 miles of aerial electric lines, including in Upper Dublin.

This work, currently underway, will be completed by the end of May and will improve electric service for nearly 40,000 customers, the company said.

The full list of areas where trimming and vegetation removal will be done include: Abington, Horsham, Lower Gwynedd, Lower Moreland, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, Upper Southampton, Warminster, Warrington, Whitemarsh, Bryn Athyn, Doylestown, Hatboro and Ivyland.

“Vegetation growth causes about 20 percent of all electric outages,” said John McDonald, vice president of Technical Services. “Our aggressive vegetation management program has helped us reduce vegetation-related outages by more than 50 percent during the past five years and is vital to safely keeping the lights on for our customers.”

PECO’s vegetation management crews are trained in arboricultural techniques as defined in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 Standard. This standard takes into account the type and location of the tree, its relation to overhead equipment and overall health of the tree. Customers are notified before work begins in their area.