Long Island, NY - January 6th, 2014 - PSEG Long Island, the new electric company serving Long Island and the Rockaways, will begin trimming trees today, Monday, Jan. 6, 2014 in towns and villages across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Tree trimming improves the reliability of electric service by keeping limbs and branches away from power lines. Tree limbs can bring down power lines and knock out electricity when there are thunderstorms or high winds. Even in fair weather, trees can interrupt service when they come in contact with energized wires and equipment. The company is increasing the clearance around electric lines by several feet to maintain reliability.

"Trees that grow too close to electric power lines are a top cause of power outages on Long Island," said David Daly, president and COO of PSEG Long Island. "We have an obligation to provide safe, reliable service. One of the best ways we can do that is to trim trees near power lines before they can cause outages. While our approach to tree trimming will be more aggressive than in the past, it is absolutely critical to help reduce the number of tree-related outages."

PSEG Long Island's arborists and tree-trimming contractors will move to a four-year tree-trimming cycle to reduce the possibility of electric outages. Growth is pruned away from energized wires and poles along roads and highways using techniques that preserve the health of the tree and direct future growth away from power lines.

The environmentally sound techniques used meet the standards of the International Society of Arboriculture and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 300 Standards for Tree Care Operations.

PSEG Long Island is notifying local officials when tree trimming will be done in their towns. Customers will also receive letters and door hangers before the work is scheduled to begin on their streets.

PSEG Long Island's website at www.psegliny.com/treetrim has information about the utility's tree-trimming program, as well as useful tips for selecting the right type of tree to plant underneath or near utility poles.

About PSEG Long Island
PSEG Long Island LLC was selected by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) in Dec. 2011 to manage LIPA's electric system. The 12-year contract includes commitments to improve customer satisfaction and provide safe, reliable service for LIPA customers. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of more than $10 billion.

Pictured: A road is blocked off after a tree has become entangled in powerlines after Superstorm Sandy.