PECO Launches $3.3 Million Tree-Trimming Project In Narberth

NARBERTH, PA -- PECO customers in northern Delaware, eastern Montgomery and northwestern Philadelphia counties will benefit from a $3.3 million vegetation management investment to trim trees and remove vegetation along 359 miles of aerial electric lines, the company announced in a news release.

This work, currently underway, will be completed by the end of July and will improve electric service for more than 96,000 customers, according to PECO.

Specifically, work will occur in Cheltenham, Haverford, Lower Merion, Springfield and Whitemarsh townships, the Borough of Narberth and the City of Philadelphia.

“Vegetation growth causes about 25 percent of all electric outages,” said Alex Brown, PECO manager of Vegetation Management, in a statement. “Our comprehensive vegetation management program has helped us reduce vegetation-related outages by approximately 50 percent during the last five years and is vital to safely keeping the lights on for our customers.”

Each year, PECO said that they invest about $500 million to enhance its electric infrastructure, including preventive maintenance and equipment upgrades to provide safe, reliable, affordable and clean energy and energy services to customers. As part of this work, PECO will invest about $41 million in vegetation management work around 3,300 miles of aerial electric lines in 2016.

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