Tree-Trimming Work Underway to Help Prevent or Minimize Power Outages in West Virginia
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison are conducting tree trimming and other vegetation management work in communities across its West Virginia service area as part of its ongoing efforts to help enhance electric service reliability. This year's $84.7 million tree-trimming program will help keep power flowing to customers by helping to prevent tree-related outages, such as those that can occur during the spring and summer storm season.
On the ground, contractors have trimmed trees along nearly 1,100 miles of power lines across the West Virginia service area since the beginning of the year. The company is on track to complete an additional 6,800 miles of work by the end of the year. Similar work is performed annually by FirstEnergy transmission companies along high-voltage power lines in the company's service territory.
Crews continually inspect vegetation near power lines to ensure trees are pruned to preserve their health while also maintaining safe clearances. Trees that present a danger or are diseased may be removed.
This year, work is being conducted in the following counties and communities in West Virginia:
- Barbour: Belington, Phillipi
- Braxton: Flatwoods, Frametown
- Brooke: Weirton, Follansbee, Wellsburg
- Calhoun: Grantsville, Five Forks
- Doddridge: West Union
- Gilmer: Glenville, Troy
- Grant: Bayard, Gormania
- Greenbrier: Lewisburg, Renick, Alderson
- Hancock: Weirton, New Cumberland, Newell
- Harrison: Clarksburg, Wallace
- Lewis: Weston
- Marion: Fairview, Rivesville, Fairmont (East Side), Baxter, Grant Town, Pleasant Valley
- Mineral: Elk Garden
- Monongalia: Morgantown, Star City, Booth, Everettville, Little Indian Creek
- Monroe: Union, Alderson
- Nicholas: Summersville, Craigsville, Canvas, Enon, Birch River
- Pocahontas: Marlinton, Dunmore, Huntersville, Durbin, Snowshoe
- Preston: Ruthbelle, Valley Point, Lenox, Cuzzart
- Randolph: Elkins, Harman, Pickens
- Roane: Spencer, Clover
- Summers: Talcott
- Taylor: Flemington, Simpson
- Tyler: Ben's Run, Friendly, Paden City, Middlebourne
- Wood: Vienna, Parkersburg, Boaz, Williamstown, Kanawha, Walker
- Webster: Cowen, Bergoo, Hacker Valley, Backfork, Erbacon
- Wetzel: Paden City, Hundred, Jacksonburg, Smithfield
As part of its notification process, Mon Power and Potomac Edison work with municipalities to inform them of tree-trimming schedules. In addition, customers living in areas along company rights-of-way also are notified before vegetation management work is done.
