GAHANNA, Ohio — This Arbor Day, AEP Ohio’s forestry team is sharing reminders on picking the right tree for the right place to help prevent future power outages.
AEP Ohio forestry crews inspect and maintain trees along every distribution circuit across the company’s 61-county service territory on a rotating four-year schedule. Since implementing this proactive trimming and removal cycle in 2009, the company has seen tree-related outages decline by 93%.
“A tree is a long-term commitment,” said Dale Hopkins, AEP Ohio forestry support manager. “Planning before purchasing and planting a new tree can help you avoid unnecessary maintenance down the road and prevent power outages for you and your neighbors.”
As temperatures warm up and people head outdoors to refresh their landscaping, consider the following tips from AEP Ohio’s forestry team when planning what and where to plant:
Think About the Full Grown Height
Determine the potential height of a tree to ensure its branches will not grow into power lines and equipment once fully grown. AEP Ohio recommends planting small trees like redbud, dogwood and crabapple at least 10-25 feet from power lines, medium trees such as Washington hawthorn and golden rain trees at least 25-50 feet away, and tall trees like maple, oak, spruce and pine at least 50 feet from overhead lines.
Give the Tree Plenty of Space to Spread Out
Consider the width of the tree's branches once fully grown to ensure they are at least 10 feet away from power lines. Species with a small canopy spread, like dogwood or crabapple, are the only trees suitable for planting within this 10-foot range.
Pick a Slow and Steady Grower
Slow-growing species, such as spruce or oak trees, are typically stronger and live longer than fast-growing varieties. Fast growers often have brittle wood that snaps easily during Ohio's wind and ice storms.
Know What’s Underground
When planting a tree, it’s important to avoid underground lines. Call 811 at least 48 hours in advance to ensure underground lines are clearly marked to prevent injuries, expenses or penalties.
Help your tree thrive for years to come. Watch this video to hear directly from our foresters on picking the perfect spot, or visit AEP Ohio’s forestry website for more landscaping tips.
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About AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers across 61 counties. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.
About AEP
AEP is committed to improving our customers’ lives with reliable, affordable power. We expect to invest $72 billion from 2026 through 2030 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electric transmission system with approximately 40,000 line miles, along with more than 252,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse owned and contracted generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.