Tree-Trimming Work Underway to Help Prevent or Minimize Power Outages in West Virginia

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04/01/2024 - 01:32 PM

Mon Power & Potomac Edison invest $84.7 million to reinforce the power grid during storms

FAIRMONT, W.Va., April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Jim Myers, President of FirstEnergy's West Virginia Operations: "Since trees are the leading cause of power outages, tree trimming is crucial to our reliability efforts and one of the most effective ways we can reduce the impact of tree-related service interruptions for our customers."

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:

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.

Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Follow Mon Power at mon-power.com, on X, formally known as Twitter @MonPowerWV, and on Facebook at facebook.com/MonPowerWV.

Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in seven counties in Maryland and 155,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison at potomacedison.com, on X @PotomacEdison, and on Facebook at facebook.com/PotomacEdison.

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

Editor's Note: Photos of workers trimming trees near FirstEnergy power lines are available for download on Flickr. A video explaining and demonstrating tree-trimming work can be found on FirstEnergy's YouTube channel.