FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Mon Power has begun its 2021 tree trimming program and will clear vegetation around nearly 5,700 miles of power lines this year. This program is part of its ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability for West Virginia customers.

According to FirstEnergy Corp., maintaining proper clearances and removing dead or diseased trees around electrical equipment can help reduce the frequency and duration of power outages, especially those associated with severe weather. Clearing incompatible vegetation under power lines also results in easier access for company personnel to inspect and maintain lines and make repairs
faster if an outage occurs.

Since the first full year of the tree-trimming program in 2015, Mon Power has been able drop their total customer outage minutes, including major storm events, by more than 40 percent.

Our tree-trimming program is critical to identifying potential hazards across our service
area and is one of the most effective ways we can minimize service interruptions for our
customers.”

Jim Myers, President of West Virginia Operations for FirstEnergy

Mon Power operates on a four-year trimming cycle and will spend more than $70 million on its vegetation management program this year. This includes 480 miles of overhead transmission power lines.

During the trimming process, vegetation is expected. Trees are also pruned in a manner that helps preserve the health of the tree, while maintaining safety near electrical facilities. In some cases, trees that are diseased or pose a threat to power lines or equipment may be removed.

Mon Power’s program includes about $2.5 million to proactively remove deteriorated ash trees damaged by the Emerald Ash Borer along larger distribution lines and lines near electric substations.

Mon Power will be conducting tree trimming work in the following counties and communities in 2021:

  • Barbour: Arden, Belington, Junior, Kasson, Moatsville, Nestorville, Tracy
  • Braxton: Burnsville, Morrison Ridge
  • Brooke: Beech Bottom, Colliers, Follansbee, Wellsburg
  • Calhoun: Arnoldsburg, Five Forks, Grantsville, Millstone
  • Clay: Ivydale, Wallback
  • Gilmer: Glenville, Normantown, Sandfork
  • Greenbrier: Alderson, Alta, Alvon, Caldwell, Fairlea, Frankford, Lewisburg, Maxwelton, Organ Cave, Renick, Ronceverte, White Sulphur, Tuckahoe
  • Hancock: Chester, Newell, Weirton
  • Harrison: Anmoore, Bridgeport, Gypsy, Lumberport, Shinnston, West Milford
  • Lewis: Jane Lew, Weston
  • Marion: Fairmont, Grant Town, Winfield
  • Monongalia: Cheat Lake, Granville, Maidsville, Westover
  • Monroe: Alderson
  • Nicholas: Richwood, Summersville
  • Pendleton: Circleville, Riverton, Seneca Rocks, Upper Tract
  • Pocahontas: Bartow, Dunmore, Green Bank
  • Preston: Arthurdale, Gladesville, Hazelton, Kingwood, Masontown, Reedsville, Rowlesburg
  • Randolph: Harman, Helvetia, Mill Creek, Pickens, Valley Bend, Valley Head
  • Ritchie: Cairo, Ellenboro, Smithville
  • Summers: Forest Hill, Hinton, Lowell, Pence Springs
  • Upshur: Buckhannon
  • Webster: Bolair, Cowen, Webster Springs
  • Wetzel: New Martinsville, Paden City, Proctor, Wileyville
  • Wirt: Elizabeth, Palestine
  • Wood: Cedar Grove, Davisville, Kanawha, Mineral Wells, North Hills, Parkersburg, Pettyville

For more information on Mon Power’s tree trimming program, visit the Mon Power website or Facebook page.