FirstEnergy's 2016 Tree Trimming Program Underway in Penn Power Service Area

AKRON, Ohio, April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. FE continues to conduct tree trimming work in communities across its Pennsylvania Power (Penn Power) service area as part of its ongoing efforts to help maintain proper clearances around electrical equipment and help protect against tree-related outages.

Since the beginning of the year, contractors have trimmed nearly 300 miles of distribution and transmission lines in the Penn Power area as part of the company's more than $11.5 million vegetation management program for 2016, with an additional 800 miles expected to be completed by year end.  The total includes $3.3 million to remove unhealthy trees encroaching on rights-of-way before they affect customer service. 

"Tree branches interfering with power lines is a leading cause of service disruptions in Penn Power territory," said Randall A. Frame, president of Ohio Edison and Penn Power.  "Tree trimming is one of the most important things we do every year to help maintain our electric system and ensure service reliability."

The vegetation management work is conducted by qualified contractors, including Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Davey Tree Expert Company, Nelson Tree Service Inc., Wright Tree Service and Townshend Tree Service.

As part of its notification process, Penn Power works with municipalities to inform them of tree trimming schedules.  In addition, customers living in areas along company rights-of-way are notified prior to work taking place. 

During the next several months, Penn Power will be conducting tree trimming work in the following counties and communities:

• Allegheny – Ingomar, Marshall Township, McCandless Township, McKnight, Pine Township, Richland Township, Sewickley, Warrendale and Wexford.
• Beaver – Franklin Township, Harmony and North Sewickley.
• Butler – Connoquenessing, Cranberry Township, Evans City, Jackson Township, Mars, Portersville, Renfrew and Zelienople.
• Crawford – Conneaut Lake, Hartstown and Linesville.
• Lawrence – Duck Run, Ellwood City, Frizzleburg, Harlansburg, McConnels Mill, Moravia, Neshannock, New Castle, Pulaski, Slippery Rock, Taylor Township, Union Township, Volant and Wampum.
• Mercer – Carlton, Farrell, Freedonia, Greenville, Grove City, Hadley, Hermitage, Jackson Center, Jamestown, Mercer, Sandy Lake, Shenango, Stoneboro, Transfer, Sharon, Sharpsville, West Middlesex and Wheatland.

The program includes inspecting trees near the lines to ensure they're pruned in a manner that helps preserve the health of the tree, while also maintaining safety near electric facilities.  Trees that present a danger or are diseased also may be removed. 

Penn Power is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. and serves more than 160,000 customers in all or parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Lawrence, and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania.  Follow Penn Power on Twitter @Penn Power, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennPower, and online at www.pennpower.com.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.  The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.