FirstEnergy Corp.’s subsidiary, Mon Power, is deploying a helicopter equipped with an aerial saw to trim trees along over 230 miles of high-voltage power lines in West Virginia. The project aims to ensure proper clearance around these lines and is expected to conclude by the end of the year.
The aerial saw will operate across multiple counties, including Berkeley, Doddridge, Hampshire, Harrison, Jefferson, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Nicholas, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Webster and Wood. This initiative is part of efforts to prevent tree-related power outages and facilitate easier access for line maintenance.
Jim Myers from FirstEnergy emphasized the importance of maintaining clearances for system reliability: “Keeping our high-voltage power lines clear of potential interference is an important part of maintaining system reliability.”
The aerial saw uses rotary blades suspended from a helicopter boom to cut tree limbs in hard-to-reach areas. This method covers more ground than traditional crews can manage and reduces risks associated with manual trimming near high-voltage equipment. Cut limbs are cleared by ground crews who also manage traffic when necessary.
Aerial Solutions owns and operates the helicopter and saw. They coordinate with local airports during operations and work only under suitable weather conditions.
Mon Power has already trimmed trees along 1,700 miles of distribution lines this year and plans to complete another 3,500 miles by year’s end. The company serves approximately 395,000 customers in West Virginia.
FirstEnergy serves over six million customers across several states through its electric distribution companies. Its transmission subsidiaries maintain about 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting various regions.
Photos and videos related to this project are available online for public viewing.
