March-2024 Cooperative Living-NOVEC - NOVEC17

Letter from NOVEC's President and CEO
Tree Trimming:
Part of NOVEC's Commitment
to Safety and Reliability
Welcome to March! It's the beginning of spring, a time to fi re up the lawnmower, clean
off the grill, and appreciate the leaves returning to trees throughout your neighborhood.
Trees beginning to bud and March winds remind me of the delicate balance NOVEC
strikes to be a good steward of our environment while maintaining industry-leading
reliability metrics. Those growing trees and branches present a constant challenge to
NOVEC's goal of delivering reliable electricity.
Our Vegetation Management team works year-round to minimize risks posed by trees
and branches to the Co-op's 1,800 miles of rights-of-way. Trees cause over 700 outage
cases annually and account for almost 40% of all outage minutes. This includes live trees,
dead trees, and trees both inside and outside our easements. Diseased trees - ash and
oak trees especially - have presented a unique challenge in recent years.
Responsibly managing tree growth is essential to our successful efforts to bring reliable
power to your homes and businesses, and to promote safety for you and our workforce.
NOVEC manages vegetation on a 3 1/2-year cycle, one of the shortest in the industry.
We do this to keep our easements free from obstructions and open to workers. We also
employ modern satellite imagery to enhance our view of vegetation risks.
NOVEC supports property owners in choosing appropriate types of vegetation near power
lines and electrical equipment. Find guidelines on novec.com for compatible species and
setback distances that allow trees and electric lines to peacefully coexist.
Low-growing shrubs, wildfl owers, and milkweed within easements can naturally support
wildlife. Trees planted in specifi c locations can actually lower your electric bill by
providing shade in the summer and protection from cold winter winds.
As we see nature bring the world back to life this spring, enjoy the fl owering blossoms
knowing NOVEC is doing its best to manage tree-related outages and keep the lights on.
See page 18 to learn more.
Best Regards,
P.O. Box 2710, Manassas, VA 20108
novec.com | 703-335-0500
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wade C. House | District 5
Chairman
James Chesley | District 3
Vice Chairman
Michael Ragan | District 6
Secretary
Cynthia Gilbride | District 1
Treasurer
Brent George | District 2
Mark Bruno | District 4
Skip Albrite | District 7
For updates, tips on safety, energy savings
ideas, and career information, fi nd us on
social media or go to novec.com.
NOVEC is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.
ENERGY TIP OF THE MONTH
Dave Schleicher
When streaming online content, use the
smallest device that makes sense for
the number of people watching. Avoid
streaming on game consoles, which use
10 times more power than streaming
through a tablet or laptop.
Source: energy.gov
NOVEC VALUES
* Integrity
* Accountability
NOVEC.com
* Safety
* Teamwork
* Excellence
* Innovation
March 2024 * Cooperative Living * 15

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March-2024 Cooperative Living-NOVEC

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