Why a helicopter will be flying over central Pennsylvania
MIFFLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A helicopter will be flying low over parts of central Pennsylvania soon as part of an effort to prevent power outages.
A FirstEnergy subsidiary is using an aerial saw to trim trees along high voltage lines in the company's PenElec service area.
The company says the work began recently and is expected to be done by the end of the year.
This work is being done in numerous Pennsylvania counties, including Mifflin, Huntingdon, and Centre counties, as well as Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Cambria,, Clearfield, Elk, McKean, Potter Somerset, Tioga, Warren, Westmoreland, and Wyoming counites.
'Keeping our high-voltage power lines clear of potential interference from trees is an important part of maintaining system reliability,' John Hawkins, FirstEnergy President, Pennsylvania, said. 'The aerial saw is a specialized tool that allows us to cover hundreds of transmission miles every year in a safe, efficient manner.'
The helicopter comes equipped with a saw on a boom suspended below. It is able to trim trees along transmission lines the company says are inaccessible to bucket trucks or other vehicles or are in environmentally sensitive areas.
They can cover more area in a day than a ground crew might in a week, FirstEnergy says.
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Maintaining clearances between lines and trees helps prevent power outages, the company says.
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