Imagine this: you’re driving through your town, the trees are full of leaves, a beautiful tree canopy above. You look at the houses as you drive by, electricity is flowing. Beautiful tree canopies and safe, reliable energy, all in one place, at one time.
It used to be that where you saw fully-blossomed trees, you also saw the potential for disruptions in power supply. It is no secret that tree branches are a main contributor to power outages in our state. PSE&G has been working hard for years to ensure that utility friendly trees are surrounding our power lines. How? One way is through PSE&G’s integrated vegetation management program, which works hard to properly maintain trees around our power lines. The reason we work so hard to maintain trees is because a maintained tree will have a healthy root system, less structural weakness and ultimately result in fewer downed lines during storms.
“Trees add not only beauty to our communities, but also help reduce energy consumption. In 2022 alone, PSE&G planted approximately 675 trees as part of its ongoing vegetation management programs,” said Richard Arnold, Jr., manager of PSE&G’s Vegetation Management.
In addition to the trees around our communities, PSE&G’s team of certified Utility Arborists and contractors manage the 15,000 acres of open space under the utility’s transmission right-of-way (ROW). The team also manages the clearance around 14,000 miles of distribution lines that bring power into neighborhoods and municipalities.
As we continue to protect and cultivate America’s urban tree canopy, we partner with different organizations who maintain similar goals. One example of these partnerships includes working with the New Jersey Tree Foundation and the Garden Club of New Jersey to enhance the habitat of our transmission ROWs by removing invasive species and replacing them with pollinator-friendly species. In addition, hazelnut trees are planted in the border zones of our ROWs that will provide resources to the animals living in the area.
“Trees are essential to creating more urban green spaces in communities across the United States,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “In addition, they provide important benefits to residents, including clean air, clean water and vital tree shade. Service providers like PSE&G demonstrate how easily trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and residents.”
Another great example is when PSE&G worked with NJ Audubon Society to enhance habitat for the Golden Winged Warbler, which is an endangered species in the state. We are proud to partner on such important work in our state and we are even more proud when our efforts are impactful enough to be recognized.
This year, PSE&G has been named a 2023 Tree Line USA Utility by the Arbor Day Foundation to recognize its dedication to proper urban forest management in the provider’s service area. Everything we do is for our communities, our customers and our state.
Find out more about how PSE&G maintains the health and beauty of New Jersey’s trees while also working to prevent future outages. https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/reliability/treetrimming
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