NYSEG Trims More Than 350 Miles of Electric Lines in Sullivan County

BINGHAMTON, NY — June 14, 2021 — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) announced today that crews have completed proactive tree trimming work in multiple towns in Sullivan County to protect its systems against and reduce the impact of severe weather. The trimming activity took place in the towns of Fallsburg, Thompson, Liberty, Bethel, Highland, Callicoon and Fremont. It extended approximately 354 total miles along the six towns’ distribution circuits, which deliver electricity to customers’ homes and businesses.

“The maintenance and tree trimming throughout the Town of Fallsburg is a necessary safety feature that NYSEG staff and Town Board take extremely seriously,” said Steven Vegliante, Town Supervisor of Fallsburg. “The Board and myself express our gratitude to the crews who performed the work and to the entire NYSEG staff who proactively keep our community safe in the events of weather emergencies.”

This year, NYSEG is increasing its tree trimming efforts across its service area. The company plans to trim approximately 450 miles of distribution lines in its Liberty Division, which includes Orange, Sullivan, Delaware and Ulster counties. The trimming will involve pruning or removing trees and vegetation that could come into contact with its power lines. Additionally, the company will prioritize its worst performing circuits, which deliver power to customers’ homes and businesses, and circuits that greatly impact reliability. 

“We would like to thank NYSEG for their continual efforts in being proactive and performing this vital work here in the Town of Bethel,” said Daniel Sturm, Town Supervisor of Bethel. “This will help us all in trying to prevent, as much as possible, future outages and disruptions.”

The company’s work in Fallsburg, Thompson, Liberty, Bethel, Highland and Callicoon focused on roadside and backyard maintenance tree trimming, with the majority of work taking place this year. Crews trimmed 142 miles of distribution lines in Fallsburg, 55 miles in Thompson, 30 miles in Liberty, 97 miles in Bethel, three miles in Highland, 112 miles in Callicoon and 29 miles in Fremont. In addition to routine maintenance tree trimming, NYSEG crews also patrolled the region for hazard trees to evaluate and have removed 1,500 hazards trees along the right of way in Sullivan county.
 
“Trees, branches and foliage are a leading cause of power interruptions,” said John Fisher, Distribution Forester for Liberty Division at NYSEG. “When damaged or broken during storms, this vegetation can take down power lines or poles and cause outages. For this reason, NYSEG invests significant resources to proactively conduct tree trimming throughout our service area. This trimming will also help to protect our infrastructure during windy conditions and other severe weather.”

For more information on the company’s full vegetation management program, visit nyseg.com. 

#  #  #

About NYSEG: New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. Established in 1852, NYSEG operates approximately 35,000 miles of electric distribution lines and 4,500 miles of electric transmission lines across more than 40% of upstate New York. It also operates more than 8,150 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 20 miles of gas transmission pipelines. It serves approximately 894,000 electricity customers and 266,000 natural gas customers. For more information, visit nyseg.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $36 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,600 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 and 2020 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

Learn about the Iberdrola Group’s global pandemic response at its COVID-19 Hub.

Media Contacts:

Node: liferay-6:8080