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Eversource Investing $41 Million in Tree Trimming Across Massachusetts in 2022

Mar 15, 2022

reliability vegetation management

Work scheduled along more than 2,500 miles of electric distribution lines throughout the commonwealth 

BOSTON, Mass. (March 15, 2022) – With intense storms in New England frequently threatening to bring down trees that cause damage to the electric system, Eversource is partnering with communities across the commonwealth to conduct annual vegetation management work to protect customers from tree-related outages. The energy company focuses year-round on fortifying the electric distribution system against such extreme weather and, in 2022, will invest approximately $41 million in tree trimming and hazardous tree removal to enhance reliability for customers throughout Massachusetts. 

22-0315_MA_Veg_M“With trees being the leading cause of power outages, our regular vegetation management work to trim and remove dead or hazardous trees away from the electric system is critical to ensuring day-to-day reliability for our customers,” said Eversource Vegetation Management Manager Paul Sellers. “Each year, we implement a comprehensive plan to ensure that all corners of the state are routinely assessed and maintained, and our team of certified arborists partners closely with community leaders to balance aesthetics and other local priorities with the need to conduct this work in order to ensure reliable power for our customers.”

As part of its comprehensive vegetation management plan for 2022, Eversource will be trimming trees along more than 2,500 miles of overhead distribution lines around the state. Tree crews will be working in 73 Eastern Massachusetts communities, including extensive work in partnership with Kingston, Duxbury, Fairhaven, Marshfield, Acushnet, and Bedford. Additionally, more than 20 tree crews dedicated to Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard will continue daily work to identify hazard trees and mitigate any potential threats to the electric system during storms. 
 
“Anything that can be done in a proactive fashion to try and eliminate or minimize the amount of damage that occurs with a lot of these trees coming down on power lines is welcomed,” said Falmouth Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Timothy Smith. “We appreciate Eversource’s collaboration with communities to identify and take care of hazardous trees through their vegetation management efforts and their ongoing coordination to address any concerns we have.”
 
Eversource also reminds customers that maintaining vegetation and trees is a shared responsibility between utilities and property owners. The energy company regularly performs maintenance work to clear branches, trees and other vegetation that cause outages or are public safety concerns and works with property owners to help them understand their responsibility to maintain their own trees, including keeping branches away from the lower-voltage service wires connecting their homes and businesses to the main utility lines of the street. In addition, Eversource offers resources to help customers “plan before they plant” and select compatible vegetation when planting near power lines, including a guide of 30 recommended trees under 30 feet tall that are safe to plant anywhere regardless of distance from utility lines. 
 
For more details on Eversource’s comprehensive vegetation management program, visit Eversource.com.

Photo: Tree Trimming Work on Ter Heun Drive in Falmouth, MA.

 

Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.45 million electric customers in 142 communities, 635,000 gas customers in 110 communities, and 8,700 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.

CONTACTS:
Chris McKinnon
617-424-2108
christopher.r.mckinnon@eversource.com