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Fall Is The Ideal Time For Planting, PECO Says Plant The Right Tree In The Right Place

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 October 2008, 12:00 CDT

Fall is a good time to plant new trees, and PECO reminds customers and landscapers to visit www.peco.com for information about what trees could be planted near the company's electrical equipment. Trees provide tremendous value to our communities, however; many trees are planted without consideration of how they grow over time.

Power lines that are clear of limbs and vegetation perform better, and are more reliable in good and bad weather. Don't forget that:

-- Trees cannot be planted within transmission right-of-ways which are the corridors where large electrical towers or wood poles are located that carry multiple, higher voltage lines. -- Low growing shrubs and grasses can be planted along the edge line of the corridors. -- Trees that reach a maximum maturity height of 25 feet or less can be planted near, but not directly under distribution lines. Distribution lines are attached to the smaller electrical poles typically seen on the streets and in the rear properties of more populated areas. -- Consider trees and shrubs that grow to 25 feet. Some examples include: Hawthorn, Amur Maple, Tree Lilac, Eastern Redbud, Serviceberry and Flowering Crabapples; other trees, such as Silver Maple, Norway Maple, Sugar Maple, Oak, Pine, Sycamore, Ash, Honey Locust, Willow, Linden and Spruce should not be planted under or adjacent to power lines. -- Place the new plantings back a minimum of 15 feet from the lines.

If a tree is in danger of falling on or near power lines please contact PECO at 1-800-494-4000 to report it. The condition will be assessed to determine if PECO can assist with the removal. PECO provides assistance in clearing of our facilities but the remainder of the removal and all associated clean-up are the responsibility of the property owner.

"Each year, trees cause about 30 percent of all outages, so to improve performance and to comply with federal standards, we manage more than 2,600 distribution miles and 200 transmission miles on our system each year," said Doreen Masalta, who oversees Vegetation Management at PECO. "One thing that customers and landscapers can do to reduce outages and to preserve their landscaping is to make sure they plant the right tree in the right place."

On August 14, 2003 the Northeastern US and Ontario lost power. And even though Southeastern Pennsylvania was not affected, one of the most significant triggering events of this Northeast Blackout was inadequate vegetation management practices. Today, the US and Canada have joint standards and right-of-way best practices to prevent that from recurring. Each year PECO's Vegetation Management Department invests more than $35 million to improve reliability along distribution circuits, transmission lines and substation facilities throughout the company's five-county service territory.

Proper placement can ensure healthy growth and be a wise investment for your property. More information on selecting, planting and caring for trees can be found at the National Arbor Day Foundation's website www.arborday.org.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility serving 1.6 million electric and 480,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,500 people in the region. PECO delivered 86 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 39.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2007. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

Source: Business Wire

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