Free Trees on Earth Day Give Long Island the Power to Save

LongIsland.com

PSEG Long Island Provides 1,000 Complimentary Trees to Customers.

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PSEG Long Island will provide 1,000 of its customers with a free tree through the Energy-Saving Trees program.

Photo by: LoggaWiggler

Long Island, N.Y., April 14, 2017 – PSEG Long Island, in partnership with New York State Urban Forestry Council and the Arbor Day Foundation, will provide 1,000 of its customers with a free tree through the Energy-Saving Trees program. The program provides customers with a better understanding of how the right trees in the right location can reduce their utility bills and promote ongoing system reliability.
 
“Strategically planting energy-saving trees, helps save up to 20 percent on summer energy bills once the trees are full grown, while also improving air quality and reducing storm water run-off for all residents across Long Island,” said Michael Voltz, Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, PSEG Long Island.
 
PSEG Long Island customers reserved their free trees at www.arborday.org/pseglongisland, an online tool that helps customers estimate the annual energy savings that will result from planting trees in the most strategic location near their homes or businesses. All customers that participated will receive one tree and are expected to care for and plant them in the location provided by the online tool, taking into account utility wires and obstructions. The types of trees offered include the following: Tulip Tree, American Linden, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood and Northern Red Oak.
 
The program was launched on March29, 2016 and ran for approximately three weeks, with all 1,000 trees reserved for customers across the PSEG Long Island service territory. Four distribution sites have been established at PSEG Long Island offices in Hewlett, Hicksville, Brentwood and Riverhead, for customers to claim their trees on Earth Day, April 22, 2016.
 
Mary Kramarchyk, New York State Urban Forestry Program Manager said, “PSEG of Long Island is an important partner in restoring the tree canopy on Long Island lost to storms and invasive pests.  Their work is greatly appreciated by the DEC’s urban forestry program.” 
 
The 1,000 trees are estimated to produce more than 1,531,357 kWh in energy savings within 20 years.
 
The “Energy-Saving Trees” online tool was created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Davey Institute, a division of Davey Tree Expert Co., and uses peer-reviewed scientific research from the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree software to calculate estimated benefits. In addition to providing approximate energy savings, the tool also estimates the trees’ other benefits, including cleaner air, reduced carbon dioxide emissions and improved storm water management.
 
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract.  PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of $9.1 billion.
 
The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.