PECO is executing a strategic tree and vegetation management program across its southeastern Pennsylvania service area to help reduce power outages caused by severe weather, support infrastructure enhancements, and improve the overall safety and reliability of electric service for customers.

Trees and other vegetation account for approximately 40 percent of power outages across the region, which is why addressing trees surrounding aerial power lines is an integral part of PECO’s commitment to enhancing service reliability, extending beyond regular equipment maintenance and repairs.  

PECO’s vegetation management programs include ​​​​​preventive pruning (clearing of fast-growing tree limbs and branches away from power lines) and tree removal (where necessary). To support these efforts, PECO has enlisted specially trained and qualified arborists, following the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 standard, to ensure responsible pruning and promote the health of existing vegetation.

“Damage due to trees and other vegetation, particularly during storms, is the largest cause of power outages for our customers,” said Iris Boci, PECO’s Vice President of Technical Services. “We’re serious about managing the delicate balance between ensuring service reliability and protecting the environment, and we are thoughtful in our approach to this necessary work to deliver the level of service our customers have come to expect.”

Throughout 2025, PECO will invest nearly $75 million in vegetation management across the region. As part of the effort, PECO executes a comprehensive customer communication and engagement program, to ensure customers are aware of when this work will occur along their street or in their neighborhood.

According to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s latest Electric Reliability Report, vegetation has consistently been the leading cause of power outages in Pennsylvania since 2015. Historically, in regions where PECO performed vegetation clearance work, there was a 30 percent reduction in vegetation-related outages and a significant improvement in electric service reliability. Most outages occur during extreme weather, such as the windstorm that caused power outages for 194,000 customers in February. Notably, 77 percent of these outages were caused by vegetation. During the storm, PECO vegetation management crews completed nearly 400 jobs to remove vegetation that caused a power outage.

PECO recognizes and appreciates the importance of trees across the region, which is why the company’s ReLeaf Program was created to expand southeastern Pennsylvania’s tree canopy by supporting the planting of one tree for every tree removed as part of the company’s electric reliability enhancement work. Through ReLeaf, PECO supported the planting of more than 9,000 trees in 2024. This work is executed through environmental initiatives and partnerships like:

• the Green Region Open Space Program with Natural Lands, where PECO funds local open space projects throughout the region
• the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy Saving Trees Program, which provides more than 1,000 trees annually to PECO customers and nearly 10,000 trees to date
• supporting the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s training of Tree Tenders and tree programming, including Yard Tree Giveaways and TreeVitalize Watershed Grant programs

Learn more about PECO and how its 3,000 employees are dedicated to the safe and reliable delivery of electricity and natural gas, as well as enhanced energy management conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance.