BRITT, Iowa – October 16, 2012 – The Alliant Energy Tree Trimming Team is constantly working to keep trees away from power lines, and soon, the team is coming to Hancock County. During storms or high winds, trees often come in contact with power lines and can cause an outage. Our crews are specially trained to work near power lines and encourage growth positive tree growth, away from power lines.
Trimming work will take place in parts of Britt beginning this week. Crews focus on specific trees that are interfering with power lines, or will soon grow into power lines without proper maintenance. However, Alliant Energy does not remove or perform heavy trimming on trees for the service wire, which runs from the pole to homes. Alliant Energy will disconnect service free of charge to allow for safe pruning with a 72-hour notice.
“The work we do to trim trees helps maintain our safe and reliable electric service,” said Dan Green, manager of line clearance for Alliant Energy.
Affected customers will be individually notified. Alliant Energy crews use current practices endorsed by the American National Standards Institute and the International Society of Arboriculture to protect power lines and preserve the health of trees.
· Crews consider how much the tree will grow before the next trim cycle.
· Tree trimmers plan for weather conditions and consider how winds could cause the tree to make contact with the wires. Crews also consider if movement in the wires, such as sagging due to high temperatures or the weight of ice, could cause the wires to contact a tree.
· Crews consider the impact trimming will have on the overall health and stability of the tree.
Alliant Energy expects to trim trees every 3 to 4 years, and property owners can expect:
· Crews to chip and haul away brush and small branches
· Removal of dead trees, dying trees, trees with badly split trunk or limb, trees that lean dangerously close to wires, trees that are fast-growing, trees that are weak-wooded
· To be contacted in person from Alliant Energy if a tree must be removed
Tree trimming is unlikely to cause interruptions in electric service. Customers with questions or concerns can contact Alliant Energy at 1-800-ALLIANT, visit alliantenergy.com/treetrimming
