Duke Energy Florida’s Tree Care Practices Prevent Outages, Earn 19th Consecutive Year Of National Recognition

The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Duke Energy Florida for its tree care practices by naming the company a “Tree Line USA” utility for the 19th year in a row.

Duke Energy achieved Tree Line USA status by meeting certain criteria such as following industry standards for quality tree care, including proper pruning, annually training employees and contractors in best practices, sponsoring tree plantings and public education programs, and participating in annual Arbor Day events.

One such event is Duke Energy’s annual tree giveaway in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program. Each January, Duke Energy customers can order a free tree in honor of Florida Arbor Day. Since 2017, the company has given away more than 15,000 trees to customers throughout the state. The program helps customers conserve energy and reduce energy bills through strategic tree planting. The trees are shipped in 1-gallon buckets directly to customers’ homes with planting and care instructions in time for National Arbor Day on Friday, April 25.

“Trees are a vital part of Florida’s natural landscape, but they can also cause power outages during powerful storms,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “Through our many tree giveaways and programs, we show customers how they can help prevent power outages by making sure the tree they plant in their yard is the right tree in the right place.”

Throughout the year, Duke Energy schedules periodic vegetation maintenance along power lines to minimize outages caused by trees in or near transmission and distribution rights of way. The company also performs additional maintenance ahead of hurricane season. Duke Energy makes every effort to notify customers in advance of vegetation management by going door to door, by sending postcards or letters, or through digital communications.

Tree maintenance practices vary based on the voltage and type of line, as well as the type of tree and its proximity to the line. In some cases, the tree may need to be cut down to provide safe and reliable operation of the line. Trees located within the rights of way of high-voltage transmission lines are generally removed instead of pruned.

“We understand that customers often have concerns when trees are trimmed or removed in their neighborhoods,” Seixas said. “We follow industry standards and federal requirements to protect the health of the trees during trimming while also ensuring the integrity of power lines to continue providing the safe, reliable service we all depend on.”

It is important to remember that customers, property owners and untrained contractors should not prune or cut trees and plants near power lines. In addition, when planting trees near power lines, be sure to select a low-growing variety to minimize impact to the lines. Also, contact Sunshine 811 before digging to locate any underground utilities, which are often located in utility easements.

For more information about planning and planting vegetation around electrical facilities, please visit Duke Energy’s Right Tree Right Place website.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. 

Media contact: Laitin Sterling
Media line: 800.559.3853