FirstEnergy Corporation’sFE subsidiary Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has taken a step toward trimming trees as part of its $34 million vegetation management program for 2017.
The subsidiary’s forestry contractors will undertake tree trimming activities in more than 50 municipalities during the month of September to prevent tree-related power outage. The above program is anticipated to promote enhanced service reliability by helping guard against growing vegetation. Over 2,500 circuit miles of tree trimming has been undertaken and another 1,100 miles is currently underway.
The Vegetation Program
In the electric utility industry, growing vegetation is a leading cause of power outages. As such JCP&L’s tree-care maintenance program helps to keep vegetation away from power lines and other electric equipment.
Although the vegetation management work is an expensive maintenance cost, it is essential for utility providers to take steps for providing safe and reliable service to customers. As such, the company’s tree management program since 2003, has helped to reduce tree-related outages in New Jersey service by nearly 24%.
JCP&L currently serves approximately 1.1 million customers in central and northern New Jersey. JCP&L’s tree-care maintenance program is testament to FirstEnergy’s focus in providing the customers reliable and outage free power services. Toward this, the company has plans to invest nearly $600 million transmission projects through 2018.
Going forward, we expect such initiatives to aid the company to retain existing customers’ while adding more customers as it continues to take steps for enhancing the quality of services.
FirstEnergy’s Step toward Customer Retention
Utility is a regulated, yet highly competitive market. Upgrading and modernizing the existing infrastructure is important for giving better service to the customers. Consequently, apart from FirstEnergy other utility firms like NextEra Energy, Inc. NEE, American Electric Power Company, Inc. AEP and Duke Energy Corporation DUK are also strengthening infrastructure to provide better-quality services to customer base.
We believe that FirstEnergy’s regulated growth strategies along with its step toward enhancing service reliability through the tree trimming program will aid the company to position itself as a successful utility operator for sustained customer service-oriented growth.
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