Mon Power Using Aerial Saws to Trim Around Power Lines

Mon Power in West Virginia is using helicopters with giant saws attached to trim trees across the state.

The company said in a press release Wednesday they plan to use aerial saws to trim trees along 700 miles of transmission lines through the end of the year. The effort is meant to help lessen the frequency of weather-associated power outages.

Holly Kauffman, president of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia Operations, says the aerial saw doesn’t replace conventional tree trimming methods, but it is an efficient, cost-effective tool that can trim more vegetation in a day than a ground crew can clear in a week.

The highly-trained helicopter pilots can hover and maneuver the saw’s multiple, 24-inch rotary blades to cut cleanly and rapidly through tree limbs up to 10 inches in diameter.