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Planting the right trees in the right places, TECO leaves the community looking greener

In the center, one day to be a nice big tree providing lots of shade. From left, Melanie Ganas, John Webster, Adam Padgett and Andrew Blake at the home of a Temple Terrace resident.
In the center, one day to be a nice big tree providing lots of shade. From left, Melanie Ganas, John Webster, Adam Padgett and Andrew Blake at the home of a Temple Terrace resident.

When the Line Clearance department at Tampa Electric – a Tree Line USA utility – gets down to business, it often means trimming trees near electrical infrastructure in ways that protect the trees’ health. That’s just one way we provide 99.9 percent reliability for our customers.

Other times, getting down to business means down in the dirt, with shovels, beautifying the landscape with trees that flourish in their new homes and add value to the community.

That was the scene once again on April 29 as TECO team members, Davey tree contractors and  Temple Terrace city officials and residents volunteered their time to plant trees at 14 Temple Terrace homes and at the Temple Terrace Family Recreational Center – further enhancing a Tree City USA.

“Big thanks as always to everyone who made the most recent planting event another opportunity to come together for a terrific cause,” said John Webster, Line Clearance Arborist with Tampa Electric. “We have a great relationship with Davey, which handles a lot of the work we undertake to manage vegetation around our power lines. And we have a great relationship with Temple Terrace, both the city and its residents, who share TECO’s appreciation for trees.”

Trees are the biggest cause of outages and – especially during severe weather – can cause significant damage. We encourage our customers to let us know if they spot trees growing too close to electrical infrastructure (only experts, like Davey contractors, should trim trees near power lines, transformers and other electrical equipment).

On April 29, the volunteers planted varieties of oak, cypress, maple and redbud trees – all of which can grow to a nice size And, if planted to shield homes from afternoon sun, they can help lower a home’s energy costs.

“There’s no downside to planting native and Florida-friendly trees if you do in the right places,” Webster said. “For me and this group of volunteers, every time we have a chance to get back to Temple Terrace for another event like this, we’re definitely in the right place to show the community what TECO is all about.”

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