GAHANNA, Ohio (April 23, 2024) — Spring is here, which means the start of landscaping projects for many. With Arbor Day just around the corner, AEP Ohio, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, is asking customers to join them in planning before they plant. With proper planning, it's possible to ensure future generations will enjoy the beauty and benefits of trees without impacting the reliability of your electric service.
"Trees are a top cause of power outages," said Dale Hopkins, forestry manager at AEP Ohio. "Our forestry team works hard to keep trees away from our power lines and equipment. By planting the right tree in the right place, you can enjoy it for many years to come and help reduce tree-related power outages.
Consider the following tips from AEP Ohio’s forestry team when planning where to plant:
Height: Determine the potential height of a tree to ensure its branches will not grow into power lines and equipment once fully grown. AEP Ohio recommends planting small trees like Redbud, Dogwood, and Crabapple at least 10-25 feet from power lines, medium trees such as Washington Hawthorn and Golden Rain Trees at least 25-50 feet away, and tall trees like Maple, Oak, Spruce and Pine at least 50 feet from overhead lines.
Width: Consider the width of the tree's branches at full growth to ensure they are at least 10 feet away from power lines. Trees with a small canopy spread, like Dogwood or Crabapple, are the only ones suitable for planting within this 10-foot range.
Growth: Take into consideration how fast a tree will grow. Slow-growing species, such as Spruce or Oak trees, are typically stronger and live longer than fast-growing species.
What’s Underground: When planting a tree, it’s important to avoid underground lines when digging. Call 811 at least 48 hours in advance to make sure you have a clear marking of underground lines to prevent injuries, expenses or penalties.
Watch our video to make sure you’re planting the right tree in the right place. For more information, visit our website.
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About AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 7,100 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2050. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.