Ohio Edison's 2019 Tree Trimming Program Underway

AKRON, Ohio, April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is conducting tree trimming and other vegetation management work in communities across its 34-county service area in Ohio to help enhance customer reliability.  The work helps keep power flowing to customers around the clock by preventing tree-related outages.

Maintaining proper clearances around electrical equipment can help reduce the frequency and duration of power outages, especially those associated with severe weather, such as the lengthy windstorm earlier this year.  In 2019, more than 5,300 miles of electric line rights-of-way will be trimmed in the Ohio Edison service area as part of an almost $23 million vegetation management program.    

"Tree trimming is among the most important work we do every year to help maintain our electric system," said Edward L. Shuttleworth, who was recently named regional president of Ohio Edison.  "This work pays dividends year-round in fewer tree-related service disruptions, particularly during severe storms like the 48-hour windstorm our area experienced in February."

Tree trimming will be conducted in the following counties and communities throughout the year:  

• Ashland – Ashland, Hayesville, Jeromesville, Loudonville, Mifflin, Mohicanville, Perrysville and Savannah
• Ashtabula – Mifflin
• Clark – Donnelsville, Enon, Harmony, Lawrenceville, New Carlisle, Springfield, South Charleston and Tremont City
• Columbiana – Columbiana, Fairfield Township, Leetonia, Lisbon, Middleton Township, New Waterford, Rogers, Salem, Unity Township, Washington Township and Washingtonville
• Crawford – Galion
• Cuyahoga – Broadview Heights and Strongsville
• Erie – Berlin Heights, Castalia, Huron, Milan, Sandusky and Vermilion
• Fayette – Washington Court House
• Geauga – Parkman
• Greene – Fairborn
• Huron – Fitchville, Hanville Corners, Huron, Norwalk and Wakeman
• Knox – Fredericktown, Mount Vernon and North Liberty
• Licking – Hartford
• Lorain – Amherst, Elyria, Grafton, Lorain, North Ridgeville and Sheffield Lake
• Madison – Kiousville, London and Mount Sterling
• Mahoning – Austintown, Boardman, Canfield, Liberty, Lowellville, North Benton, North Lima, Poland, Struthers and Youngstown
• Marion – Caledonia, Claridon, Kirkpatrick, Marion, Waldo, West Jefferson and Williamsport
• Medina – Brunswick, Chippewa Lake, Hinckley, Lodi, Medina and Seville
• Morrow – Blooming Grove, Cardington, Edison, Mt. Gilead, North Woodbury, Shauck and Steam Corners
• Ottawa – Port Clinton
• Portage – Atwater, Brady Lake, Freedom Township, Garrettsville, Hiram, Hiram Township, Kent, Mantua Township, Village of Mantua, Ravenna Township and Shalersville Township
• Richland – Adario, Bellville, Butler, Lexington, Lucas, Mansfield, Newville, Olivesburg, Ontario, Shelby, Shenandoah and Taylortown
• Stark – Alliance, Beach City, Brewster, Jackson Township, Lawrence Township, Lexington Township, Massillon, Navarre, Nimishillen Township, North Canton and Uniontown
• Summit – Akron (including all or parts of Chapel Hill, downtown Akron, east Akron, Ellet, Elizabeth Park, Highland Square, Lane-Wooster, Merriman Valley, Middlebury, North Hill, northwest Akron, the Portage Lakes area, south Akron, Summit Lake, University of Akron, Wallhaven and west Akron), Barberton, Bath Township, Clinton, Coventry Township, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Green, Hudson, Monroe Falls, New Franklin Township, Norton, Peninsula, Richfield, Silver Lake, Stow, Tallmadge and Uniontown
• Trumbull – Champion, Howland Township, Kinsman, Vienna and Warren
• Wayne – West Salem

The tree trimming is done on a four-year cycle.  The program includes inspecting vegetation near the lines to ensure the trees are pruned in a manner that helps preserve the health of the tree, while also maintaining safety near electric facilities.  Trees that present a danger or are diseased may be removed.

As part of its notification process, Ohio Edison works with municipalities to inform them of tree trimming schedules.  In addition, customers living in areas along company rights-of-way also are notified prior to vegetation management work being done. 

The vegetation management work is conducted by certified forestry experts under the company's direction, including Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Davey Tree Expert Company, Nelson Tree Service Inc., PennLine Service, Townsend Tree Service and Wright Tree Service.          

Ohio Edison serves more than 1 million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on Twitter @OhioEdison and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdison.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.  The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.  Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

Editor's Note:  Photos of workers using bucket trucks to trim trees near FirstEnergy power lines are available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

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