MILWAUKEE — The City of Franklin and We Energies are teaming up to take down trees that could cause a power outage. The partnership is a first-of-its-kind effort between We Energies and one of the communities it serves.
We Energies crews are trimming overgrown trees and large branches away from power lines along West Rawson Avenue and along South 68th Street. After the branches are trimmed back, Franklin Public Works crews can safely cut the trees down and remove them.
The partnership is reducing costs, minimizing impact to residents and drivers, and improving electric reliability.
“We welcome this partnership with We Energies, because the removal of the branches is a proactive effort that will enable us to get ahead of any potential power outages,” said Franklin Mayor John Nelson. “A special thank-you to our Public Works team who worked alongside We Energies to make sure this project is completed safely and on time.”
The project started in mid-September and is expected to wrap up this month. In total, the crews will clear trees and branches from along 4 miles of roadway. Many of the trees were within 10 to 20 feet of power lines, making them more likely to knock out power during a storm.
“One of the best ways we can prevent outages during storms is to trim trees and branches away from our power lines,” said Dave Megna, vice president of field operations — We Energies. “This program goes even further. Since the city is fully removing the trees, customers in the area should see improved reliability — even during severe weather. This is a great partnership that we think can be replicated across the state.”
We Energies currently performs forestry work along more than 1,000 miles of power lines a year. The company has presented a plan to regulators that would more than double that work in 2025 and 2026.