Current phase of work addresses vegetation along 600 miles of power lines in five counties and Baltimore City

BALTIMORE (March 28, 2016) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) customers will benefit from a $7 million investment to trim trees and remove vegetation along 600 miles of electric lines throughout the company’s service territory. This work, currently underway, will be completed by the end of May and will help BGE continue to deliver electricity safely and reliably. In 2016, BGE will spend nearly $27 million in total on vegetation management along approximately 2,300 miles of overhead power lines.

“Tree and plant growth along our distribution lines is the top cause of electric outages,” said Derrick Dickens, vice president of Technical Services for BGE. “But thanks to our proactive vegetation management program, we have been able to reduce outages caused by trees by close to 40 percent since 2011. This helps us keep the power on for our customers and is another example of the work we do to maintain our distribution system.”

In addition to vegetation management, BGE’s preventive maintenance program also includes regular inspection of poles, manholes, overhead wires, underground cables, transformers, substations and other equipment. Each year, BGE invests close to $500 million to operate and maintain the company’s electric system infrastructure.

In 2015, the frequency of electric service interruptions, including those caused by all weather events, was BGE’s lowest on record. Last year, customers who did experience outages, except during significant weather events, had power restored faster than ever before—reducing the average length of outages by 45 minutes since 2012. BGE ranks in the top 25 percent of the most reliable electric utilities nationwide.

BGE manages 10,500 miles of overhead power lines and the entire power grid is trimmed on a four year cycle. BGE’s vegetation management is performed by licensed contractors trained to safely remove trees and branches that would interfere with power lines, while minimizing impacts to tree health. Additionally, BGE has a professional staff of Maryland Authorized Foresters and International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborists that monitor the work of the contractors.

Customers will be notified before work begins in their area. Work will occur throughout the territory and focus on the following areas: 

• Anne Arundel County: areas surrounding Annapolis, Glen Burnie and Pasadena 
• Baltimore City: north Baltimore City and near Sparrows Point 
• Baltimore County: areas near Reisterstown 
• Harford County: areas near Aberdeen, Belcamp and Bel Air 
• Howard County: areas near Columbia and Jessup

An online tree trimming schedule and map, as well as information on how to choose the right types of trees and locations to plant away from energy equipment, visit bge.com/treecare.

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