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Vegetation management: Balancing power reliability with scenic beauty The single major cause of power outages is damage to power lines from trees and limbs during severe weather such as high winds, heavy snow, ice or lightning. With over 8,000 miles of power lines to protect, Blue Ridge Energy works year-round on vegetation management to ensure members have the most reliable electricity possible. Blue Ridge ranks among the most reliable electric providers in the nation and in recent years has added another method to help achieve reliability in a safe, environmentally friendly manner — aerial tree pruning. This method utilizes specially trained helicopter pilots who carefully conduct pruning along rights of ways. Trained “spotters” are located on ground level and are in constant communication with the pilot. Used by utilities across the nation for years, aerial tree pruning is approved by the American National Standards Institute. The process is less intrusive to member property and the environment than traditional methods. As with all vegetation management, members are notified in advance of pruning. Debris is removed from maintained areas, while in non-maintained areas, debris is either left or bush hogged to the ground. Our vegetation management program combines several growth control methods that balance scenic beauty with safe, reliable power. For more information, visit BlueRidgeEnergy.com/ROW.
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