BGE Offers Free Trees To Customers

From Arbor Day Foundation: Beginning today, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) is providing its customers with 1,000 free trees in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation’s (Arbor Day) Energy-Saving Trees Program, which encourages people to conserve energy and reduce energy bills through strategic tree planting.

The trees—200 each of Swamp White Oak, Shadblow Serviceberry, Red Maple, Flowering Dogwood, and Tuliptree—are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be shipped to BGE customers at no cost. Trees are generally no more than four feet high when they arrive. Order limit is two trees per service address, and customers may place orders at arborday.org/bge.

Properly planted trees can help reduce energy use through summer shading and by slowing cold winter winds. As trees grow, they could lower customer energy bills by 15 to 30 percent. However, selecting the wrong tree for a site can result in significant pruning or removal, and increase the risk of serious electric service interruptions in the future. Before planting a tree, customers are advised to:

• Check with a Maryland Licensed Professional Forester, Certified Arborist, or nursery expert to better understand a specific tree’s maximum height and crown spread;
• Call 811 to schedule a time for a contractor to identify the approximate location of underground utilities;
• Access Arbor Day’s interactive online tool that educates customers on where to plant their free tree for maximum energy, air, water, and carbon benefits; and
• Review BGE’s guidance on safety and reliability considerations when planting trees near utility poles, overhead lines, or transformers.

BGE’s partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation is now in its seventh year. During that time, BGE customers have received more than 30,000 trees through the joint effort. According to Arbor Day, those trees planted by BGE customers have helped avoid nearly 90,000 tons of carbon dioxide, filter 990 million gallons of storm water, save more than 44,000 megawatt hours of electricity, and save more than 1.85 million natural gas therms.

Earlier this year, BGE’s parent company, Exelon, joined the Arbor Day Foundation’s Evergreen Alliance, a dedicated group of corporate partners that have made a long-term commitment to helping Arbor Day reach its goal of planting 100 million trees and inspiring five million tree planters by 2022. Evergreen Alliance members provide funding and spearhead tree-planting programs and educational campaigns to drive consumer awareness and action, particularly among their own global employees.

Exelon operating companies in collaboration with Arbor Day have distributed more than 100,000 free trees to homeowners in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania through the Energy-Saving Trees Program over the last eight years. These 100,000 trees are projected to bring $65 million in environmental benefits to the communities Exelon serves.

More information about the Energy-Saving Trees Program is available at bge.com.