In recognition of National Arbor Day on April 24, PECO offers tips to help customers “plant the right tree in the right place” to ensure trees remain compatible with aerial power lines.

Vegetation growth causes about one-third of all electric outages. To ensure reliable service for customers, PECO invests approximately $36 million each year in vegetation management around approximately 2,800 miles of aerial electric lines.

Property owners, community groups, developers and customers can avoid tree-related outages and unnecessary pruning by planting trees that are compatible with power lines. The Arbor Day Foundation recommends planting small-growing trees up to 20 feet from power lines, medium growing trees between 20 and 50 feet from power lines, and tall growing trees more than 50 feet from power lines.

“If you are thinking about planting a new tree, consider what the tree will look like when fully grown,” said Alex Brown, PECO manager of Vegetation Management. “It’s important to know how tall and wide the tree will be so you can ensure there is adequate space between the tree and the lines.”

PECO encourages planting flowering trees that grow to heights less than 25 feet - like dogwoods and crabapples – under power lines. Trees that grow to more than 30 feet high should never be planted under power lines. At full height, these trees may contact overhead wires and cause power outages.

When planted in the right place, trees can help reduce energy use by providing shade in the summer and slowing cold winter winds. Once trees are fully grown, they can reduce energy bills by up to 15 to 30 percent. In addition, trees can increase property value, reduce carbon footprint, improve air quality and more effectively catch storm water runoff.

Customers are reminded to call 811 at least three days before digging to ensure the area is safe for planting.

For more information call 1-800-311-6345, ext. 915 or visit peco.com and click on the Trees and Powerlines link under the Customer Service / Service Request tab on the home page.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and more than 506,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region. PECO delivered 89.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2014. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations. For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.

If you are a member of the media and would like to receive PECO news releases via email, please send your email address to PECO.Communication@exeloncorp.com