TULSA, OK, October 29, 2004 – PSO is asking Tulsa-area homeowners to look up and determine where the power lines are before they plant trees this fall.  The PSO Look Before You Leaf  community project is designed to share information with homeowners about planting trees in the right place and away from power lines to help to ensure electric reliability.
 
Teams of PSO employees will fan out at Sanders Nursery in Broken Arrow on Friday, Oct. 29 to hang informational tags on trees for sale, sharing important messages about what to consider when planting the tree they purchase.
 
"Planting the right tree in the right place is critical to ensuring electric reliability," said Richard Bewley, PSO forestry supervisor. "Just one falling or sagging tree branch can interrupt power to customers.”
 
Trees need space and it’s important that trees be planted far enough away from power lines to ensure that electric service is not compromised, Bewley said.
 
PSO offers these tips on planting trees:
·Only shrubs should be planted near or under power lines.
·Small variety trees need to be planted at least 15 feet away from power lines.
·Medium variety trees need to be planted at least 30 feet away from power lines.
·Large variety trees need to be planted at least 40 feet away from power lines.
 
While on site at Sanders Nursery, PSO also will leave behind free copies of Tree Tips, a detailed planting guide for customers.  Copies of Tree Tips are free by calling PSO at 1-800-305-6742.
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power, is an electric utility company serving more than 505,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 4,000 megawatts of generating capacity and offers some of the lowest energy prices in the United States.
 
PSO’s parent company, American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and is the nation´s largest electricity generator.  AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid.  The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.