Since the vast majority of these issues require going well beyond typical easement rights, it is critical to meet with property owners and municipals to discuss proposed work. Ameren's experience to date has been that most property owners are very receptive, once a thorough explanation is given. The goal of the program is to monitor these feeders over the next four to six years with the expectation that the Tree SAIFI on these prescriptive feeders approaches the overall average of the substation. The cost of this additional vegetation work has varied from $5000 to an excess of $100,000 per circuit.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Vegetation Rule, which will be enacted this year by the Missouri Public Service Commission, features many components that will affect all Missouri investor-owned utilities such as defined cycle lengths based on feeder classification with the time line to achieve and clearance specifications by voltages. In addition, there are requirements for notification of property owners, municipalities and county officials of planned maintenance trimming and mid-cycle vegetation patrols.

In anticipation of the rule making, AmerenUE has started the notification and mid-cycle vegetation patrols. The utility has used the opportunity of the notification to include a pamphlet to educate its customers on why tree trimming is necessary, how the trees will be trimmed and recommendations on proper tree planting near electrical lines.

The issues all utility arborists face today, in large part, are a result of poor planting decisions by property owners. AmerenUE has and will continue to address those past decisions where possible with tree removal and, in some cases, a replacement program. AmerenUE is hopeful that going forward the educational efforts on “The Right Tree in the Right Place” with customers and municipalities will lessen the need for a tree-removal program.

Rick Schenk is the superintendent of vegetation management for AmerenUE. Schenk is an ISA-certified arborist and utility specialist. He is a member of the Midwest Chapter of ISA and a member of the Utility Arborist Association. Schenk has a BS degree in forestry management from the University of Missouri-Columbia. RSchenk@ameren.com

BY THE NUMBERS

St. Louis, Missouri, experienced more severe weather than any other office in the National Weather Service in 2006. By the end of the year, the city logged a total of 723 severe weather events. Here are some statistics on the major storms and how Ameren responded with the restoration effort.

July 2006 Storms

• Back-to-back storms on July 19 and 21 affected electric service for nearly 950,000 customers in Illinois (301,700) and Missouri (646,200).

• The numbers were very large compared to the August 2005 storm, which was the utility's last bad storm, when 217,000 customers were out of power. More than 500 distribution feeder circuits were out — more than triple the norm for even major storms.

• Ameren companies replaced 1316 transformers, 1550 poles and 2 million ft of wire and cable.

• More than 5300 people worked to repair the damage, including 2650 linemen and 1150 tree crews.

• Utilities in 12 states sent crews to help, 25 electrical construction contractor companies sent crews, and 22 companies responded from the Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (97 coop linemen helped).

• Ameren companies answered 1.2 million customer calls.

• Nearly 463,000 customers of the total 950,000 were restored in three days.

• All power was restored in nine days; 93% had been restored by the eighth day.

November/December 2006 Storms

• On Nov. 30/Dec. 1 the worst ice storm in at least 30 years affected electric service for 520,000 customers, including 290,000 in Missouri and 234,000 customers in Illinois. More than 5500 workers came from 14 states to help repair the damage.

• Again, trees knocked onto power lines.

• During this storm, AmerenUE replaced 392 poles in Missouri and installed 214 miles of new cable and conductor.

• AmerenUE restored power to all customers in eight days. A review of other utilities' restoration times shows that most took between eight and 10 days to restore the bulk of their customers during ice storms.

January 2007 Storm

• Due to a Jan. 13 ice storm, 350,000 customers in Illinois and Missouri lost power; they were all restored in less than five days.

• More than 4200 linemen and 1500 tree-removal/vegetation management personnel worked to restore power.

• Contractor and other utility crews came from 16 states to help restore power.