Utility Company Urges Responsibility in Tree Planting

Tomorrow is Earth Day, and many organizations and individuals will plant trees to support the environment.  E.ON U.S. is among the organizations supporting such projects.  The utility is giving 75-thousand dollars in matching grants to groups that plant trees responsibly.  But officials are also asking that those who plant trees consider what they tree will look like years later. E.ON spokesperson Chris Whelan says a sapling may be small now, but if it’s an oak tree, it may be a problem for the company and electric customers when it’s fully grown.“As we’ve seen during the wind storms, trees that get into power lines cause problems for us," says Whelan.  "So by planting smaller trees such as dogwoods, or redbuds, in those areas that might reach our power lines, that is still getting trees, but putting the right tree in the right spot.”She says planting large trees is welcome, but in spots that are best for the electrical instrastructure and the tree.“You can grow an oak in an area that’s wide open, but we’d prefer that you grow a dogwood in an area that’s going to grow under our power lines," says Whelan.  "So it’s creating a greater awareness of both the environment and being cognizant of what you plant and where you’re planting it.”E.ON U.S. is the parent company of Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities.