Detroit Edison Sets Schedule for November and December Line Clearance

DETROIT, Oct. 31  /PRNewswire/ -- Detroit Edison line-clearance crews will be working in more than 20 Southeastern Michigan communities in November and December, continuing their year-round effort to keep trees and branches away from power lines.  The utility trims trees to reduce the potential for power outages and to help ensure electric service reliability and safety for customers.

"Tree interference is responsible for about two-thirds of the power outages that occur during storms," said Steve Kurmas, DTE Energy senior vice president, Distribution Operations.  "By maintaining a 10-foot clearance between tree branches and power lines, we can reduce the possibility of tree- related power outages."

Detroit Edison tree-trimming crews follow International Society of Arboriculture standards, which are designed to maintain the health of trees. The utility has received the National Tree Line USA Award for quality tree care for 10 consecutive years.

Detroit Edison removes from customer property small branches and debris that result from its line-clearance program.  Larger trimmed branches are cut into firewood length and left behind for customer use or disposal.

During a storm restoration process, unscheduled emergency tree trimming sometimes is required to facilitate the safe restoration of electrical service.  If electric service has been interrupted because trees have been uprooted or large limbs have fallen on power lines, customers have the responsibility to remove tree debris resulting from such emergency restoration activity.

Customers are responsible for keeping tree branches away from their service drops, the lines that run from utility poles to their homes.  Although the voltage running through the service drop is significantly lower than that of pole-to-pole wires, Detroit Edison recommends that customers hire a professional tree service to do this trimming.  Visit http://www.my.dteenergy.com/lineclearance to find more information about line clearance and proper tree planting.

In November and December, line-clearance crews will continue or begin work in the following communities:

  Livingston County            Tuscola County
   Brighton Township            Juniata Township
   Green Oak Township           Richville Township
                                Tuscola Township
  Macomb County                 Vassar Township
   St. Clair Shores
                               Washtenaw County
  Oakland County                Ann Arbor
   Ferndale                     Ypsilanti
   Hazel Park                   Ypsilanti Township
   Waterford
   West Bloomfield             Wayne County
                                Dearborn
  St. Clair County              Dearborn Heights
   Ft. Gratiot Township         Detroit
   Port Huron                   Grosse Pointe Farms
   Port Huron Township          Van Buren Township


DATASOURCE: Detroit Edison



CONTACT:  Eileen Dixon, [phone], or Len Singer, [phone],

both of Detroit Edison



Web site:  http://www.my.dteenergy.com/lineclearance

http://www.dteenergy.com/ 

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