Work using the aerial saw, which will trim the trees along transmission lines located in 16 counties in northern and central Pennsylvania, started in May, and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The helicopter and saw are owned and operated by Aerial Solutions and will work only as weather conditions permit.
The maintenance of proper clearances around transmission lines and electrical equipment is to help prevent or minimise the impact of tree-related power outages, especially those associated with severe weather during the summer and winter storm seasons. Clearing incompatible vegetation under power lines also gives company personnel easier access to inspect and maintain lines and make repairs quicker if an outage occurs.
John Hawkins, FirstEnergy president, Pennsylvania, said: “Keeping our high-voltage power lines clear of potential interference from trees is an important part of maintaining system reliability. The aerial saw is a specialised tool that allows us to cover hundreds of transmission miles every year in a safe, efficient manner.”
Suspended on a boom beneath the helicopter and equipped with multiple 24-inch rotary blades, the aerial saw is typically used in areas that are environmentally sensitive or inaccessible to bucket trucks and other vehicles. This method of trimming typically covers a greater area in a day than a ground crew might complete in a week. The saw also eliminates the risk of injury to workers using bucket trucks or climbing trees to cut limbs near high-voltage equipment.
The saw cleanly cuts tree limbs 8 to 10 inches in diameter, which fall straight to the ground propelled by air blasts from the helicopter rotors. Ground crews move limbs that have fallen onto roads, yards, fields or in streams. The ground crew will also flag and stop motorists along roads if the aerial saw is working nearby. The pilot also communicates with local airport personnel whenever the helicopter is operating within their air space.
The work is part of FirstEnergy’s $51 million vegetation management programme to trim trees along more than 4100 miles of power lines in the Penelec area in 2025.
This article first appeared in Modern Power Systems magazine.
