By Tracy Warner—
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, will trim trees around transmission power lines in East-Central and Southeast Indiana using an aerial saw beginning Monday, March 11, and continuing for about two weeks.
The work is routine maintenance to remove branches that can interfere with service reliability and pose potential safety hazards.
Trimming will take place, weather permitting, on Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. near transmission power lines. The helicopter will fly from south to north in parts of the following counties: Jefferson, Jennings, Decatur, Shelby, Hancock, Madison, Hamilton, Tipton, Howard, Delaware and Henry.
I&M has contracted with Rotor Blade LLC to perform the work using a helicopter-based tree-trimming saw. The helicopter is red, silver and black with a tail identification of N107SF.
The tree-trimming tool is suspended beneath a helicopter by a vertical boom that has multiple motor power saw blades attached. The helicopter will fly at tree-top heights while working. The aerial trimming is faster and more easily reaches areas away from roadways than traditional tree-trimming crews using ground equipment.
I&M is committed to balancing the importance of trees with the equally important need to deliver electricity safely and reliably. Anyone with questions should contact I&M at 800-311-4634.
Aerial saw example
About Indiana Michigan Power
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,000 employees serve more than 600,000 customers. More than 85% of its energy delivered in 2023 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 35 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 1,497 MW of coal-fueled generation.
