Westar Energy - Doing whatever it takes to keep the lights on

ReliabiliTree Frequently Asked Questions

ReliabiliTree Overview

1. What is the purpose of the program?
2. When did the program begin?
3. Why was Wichita selected for the pilot project?
4. How many crews will be dedicated to Reliabilitree?
5. How much will this program cost?
6. How are you educating the public about this program?
7. What happens after the pilot concludes?

Line Clearance

8. How much of a problem do trees pose to our electrical system?
9. How much of a difference does clearing trees under power lines make to customer outages?
10. What is the white (or orange) dot on my tree?
11. What will my neighborhood look like after work is completed?
12. Why is work being done near my house but not at my house?
13. Wouldn't it be better to bury power lines?
14. Are there any tree replacement programs?
15. Will ReliabiliTree crews clear the branches along the line that goes from the pole to my house?

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ReliabiliTree Overview

1. What is the purpose of the program?

This revitalized vegetation management program will help improve electric service reliability by mitigating one of the main causes of power outages - vegetation near power lines. ReliabiliTree will put circuit clearance on a four-five year cycle. The program also supports Westar's core value of safety for its employees, contractors and the public.

2. When did the program begin?

The program officially launched in August 2010.

3. Why was Wichita selected for the pilot project?

The Wichita Division encompasses about 1/8 of our overhead distribution line miles and serves more than 1/3 of Westar's total customer base. Wichita was selected because of the "biggest bang for the buck" theory.

Areas included in the pilot program: Wichita-area cities involved in the pilot program include: Andale, Andover, Bel Aire, Cheney, Clearwater, Colwich, Derby, Eastborough, Garden Plain, Goddard, Haysville, Kechi, Maize, Park City, Rose Hill, Valley Center and Wichita.

4. How many crews will be dedicated to ReliabiliTree?

About 25 crews in 2010 ramping up to 35 crews in 2013 will be dedicated to the ReliabiliTree project - this is 15 crews in addition to those typically working in the Wichita Division. That represents about 70-75 contract employees in 2010. These crews will work solely on ReliabiliTree projects and will not be released for hurricane or other storm restoration efforts outside of the Westar service territory.

5. How much will this program cost?

The pilot program will cost about $25 million over the four year pilot program. It is too early to have any clear understanding if this pilot program will impact rates for customers. We hope to demonstrate that the cost of the program improves service reliabiilty and the benefits of improved service reliability are equal to or greater than the cost for our customers.

6. How are you educating the public about this program?

It's important that we educate the public on the purpose and goals of this initiative. We have been meeting with mayors, city managers, county commissioners, homeowner/neighborhood associations, city councils, etc. to help explain the program and answer questions. We are also implementing a public education campaign that will consist of various methods for disseminating the information. This will include community meetings, mass media and other mediums. Residents will receive a packet of information prior to work being done at their house. This packet includes information about ReliabiliTree, a tree planting guide and contact information.

7. What happens after the pilot concludes?

Data from the Wichita pilot will prove the effectiveness of regular, consistent tree pruning for electric reliability. We will share our progress reports via our website. We anticipate moving to other areas in the organization to achieve four-year urban, five-year rural cycled line clearance eventually throughout Westar's service territory.

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Line Clearance

8. How much of a problem do trees pose to our electrical system?

Trees and power lines are natural enemies. When trees come into contact with power lines, electric service is hampered and, more importantly, a dangerous situation is created for both the public and our employees in charge of keeping the lights on. In a nutshell, the goal of Westar's line clearance program is to balance safe, reliable service with preserving the health and appearance of trees.

Trees account for 19 percent of normalized outages in our service territory ("normalized" means not taking certain items, like severe storms, into account). Customer interruption time is up to five times greater because of trees than animals. Currently, vegetation supervisors receive 35-40 calls and Web inquiries per week regarding trees in Wichita alone.

9. How much of a difference does clearing trees under power lines make to customer outages?

In areas where we've cleared circuits of vegetation, we have seen a 50 percent to 70 percent reduction in tree-related power outages and 30 percent reduction in overall outages.

10. What is the white (or orange) dot on my tree?

We use a dot system to help crews identify trees that need attention. A white dot means a tree needs to be pruned. An orange dot means a tree needs to be removed. The dots are placed toward the bottom of the tree - opposite view from the house - so that it is unobtrusive.

11. What will my neighborhood look like after work is completed?

Our goal is to balance safe, reliable service with preserving the health and beauty of trees. ReliabiliTree will follow the same tree pruning practices we are already using in our vegetation management, which uses International Society of Arboriculture standards and best management practices along with the Tree Care Industry Association pruning standards. The species of tree determines the amount of pruning. After pruning, the tree may look somewhat "stark" but over time the tree will fill out. Some trees may have to be removed.

12. Why is work being done near my house but not at my house?

Westar has divided the area into quadrants and is working one quadrant at a time. Quadrants are loosely derived by the I-135 (canal route) as the East/West line and Kellogg as the North/South line. In addition, crews are working along electrical circuits. In some areas, multiple circuits feed a particular neighborhood. This is why you might see work being done near your house but not on the lines service your home.

13. Wouldn't it be better to bury the power lines?

Burying power lines is costly and comes with its own challenges. Customers may experience longer interruptions with buried power lines because it takes more time to determine the cause and longer to make repairs. It may also require excavation work to diagnose and repair problems with buried power lines.

14. Are there any tree replacement programs?

Currently, Wichita is the only city with a tree replacement program in place.

15. Will ReliabiliTree crews clear the branches along the line that goes from the pole to my house?

ReliabiliTree crews only clear branches along lines in the utility easement (from pole to pole). Trimming along service lines from the pole to home is the customer's responsibility. Westar will temporarily remove the service line so that arrangements can be made to have branches along the service line trimmed and then we will return to reattach the service line. Call our customer relations center at (800) 383-1183 to schedule this service.