PECO's Embarks On $3 Million 'Tree-Trimming' Program In Montgomery County

PECO is a launching a $3.3 million “vegetation management“ program will they say will help improve electrical service to 32,000 customers in the area.

Crews will trim trees and remove vegetation along 395 miles of aerial electric lines to improve electric service for 32,000 customers. Work began in September and will be completed by the end of December.

Specifically, work will occur in Easttown, Lower Merion, Plymouth, Radnor, Tredyffrin, Upper Merion and Willistown townships, and West Conshohocken Borough.

“Vegetation growth causes about one-third of all electric outages,” John McDonald, vice president of Technical Services, said in a press release. “Preventive pruning around aerial power lines is vital to safely keeping the lights on for our customers.”

Each year, PECO invests approximately $500 million to enhance its electric infrastructure, including preventive maintenance and equipment upgrades.

As part of this work, PECO will invest about $36 million in vegetation management work around approximately 2,800 miles of aerial electric lines in 2015 across the country.

PECO said that their egetation 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 will be notified before work begins in their area.