Tree trimmers take aerial tack
Work is is not part of extras AmerenUE has promised
By RENEE JEAN
Daily Journal Assistant Managing Editor
Daily Journal Assistant Managing Editor
Published: Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Updated: Tuesday, August 7, 2007 11:42 AM CDT
Updated: Tuesday, August 7, 2007 11:42 AM CDT
Aerial tree trimmers were getting motorists attention Monday afternoon, but the unusual sight was not part of AmerenUE’s promises to more aggressively clear trees from power lines. It was part of the usual “vegetation management” that the company undertakes every year.
“We have some areas that are hard to get to on foot or by truck,” explained Mike Cleary, a spokesman for the electric company.
St. Joe State Park is among those inaccessible areas. It takes up a large portion of land between Park Hills and Farmington, and is near where the tree trimming helicopter was spotted.
The aircraft from Aerial Solutions, Inc. out of Tabor City, North Carolina, is outfitted with 11 circular saw blades one above the other that swing 110 feet below the helicopter. The contraption will cut a 30-foot vertical swath through trees.
The chopper cuts successively downward, until it has reached ground level.
The extra work AmerenUE has promised to complete to improve power stability is likely to be much less noticeable than the helicopter trimming. Most of it will involve undergrounding at key stations and hubs, many of them in less visible locations.
In all, Ameren is going to spend an additional $10 million to decrease power outages in this effort, a program it is calling “Project Power On.” They will also be trimming more trees, doing more foot inspections and improving emission standards as part of that.
The emission standards are in advance of federal timelines, a company press release explains, and will ensure the company continues to provide “low-cost power to meet our customer’s needs.”
Statewide the company will spend an estimated $1 billion over three years for the project. St. Francois County’s share of that will be $6 million.
This will generate an estimated 2,400 additional outside construction jobs each year to manage and complete the projects. Estimated annual wages will be in the neighborhood of $200 million.
For now, the money funding this work is coming from loans. However, a press release states they will eventually seek rate increases to “appropriately reflect the cost of our infrastructure improvements.”
Since the storms of last year, many people have wondered why Ameren hadn’t already put more of its lines underground.
Cleary explained that underground lines are not impervious to problems. They face other maintenance challenges, such as tree roots and water issues. It is also more expensive to place lines underground and keep them maintained.
Additional money will be spent in St. Francois and surrounding counties to improve power stability.
St. Francois $6.405 million
Washington $2.688 million
Iron $1.272 million
Madison $81,000
Ste. Genevieve $75,000
“We have some areas that are hard to get to on foot or by truck,” explained Mike Cleary, a spokesman for the electric company.
St. Joe State Park is among those inaccessible areas. It takes up a large portion of land between Park Hills and Farmington, and is near where the tree trimming helicopter was spotted.
The aircraft from Aerial Solutions, Inc. out of Tabor City, North Carolina, is outfitted with 11 circular saw blades one above the other that swing 110 feet below the helicopter. The contraption will cut a 30-foot vertical swath through trees.
The chopper cuts successively downward, until it has reached ground level.
The extra work AmerenUE has promised to complete to improve power stability is likely to be much less noticeable than the helicopter trimming. Most of it will involve undergrounding at key stations and hubs, many of them in less visible locations.
In all, Ameren is going to spend an additional $10 million to decrease power outages in this effort, a program it is calling “Project Power On.” They will also be trimming more trees, doing more foot inspections and improving emission standards as part of that.
The emission standards are in advance of federal timelines, a company press release explains, and will ensure the company continues to provide “low-cost power to meet our customer’s needs.”
Statewide the company will spend an estimated $1 billion over three years for the project. St. Francois County’s share of that will be $6 million.
This will generate an estimated 2,400 additional outside construction jobs each year to manage and complete the projects. Estimated annual wages will be in the neighborhood of $200 million.
For now, the money funding this work is coming from loans. However, a press release states they will eventually seek rate increases to “appropriately reflect the cost of our infrastructure improvements.”
Since the storms of last year, many people have wondered why Ameren hadn’t already put more of its lines underground.
Cleary explained that underground lines are not impervious to problems. They face other maintenance challenges, such as tree roots and water issues. It is also more expensive to place lines underground and keep them maintained.
Additional money will be spent in St. Francois and surrounding counties to improve power stability.
St. Francois $6.405 million
Washington $2.688 million
Iron $1.272 million
Madison $81,000
Ste. Genevieve $75,000
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