MLGW chief: Failure to trim trees increased outages fivefold
A crew from Tennessee Disaster Relief cuts up a tree on Oak Road in Bartlett on June 29, 2023.Memphis Light, Gas and Water has failed to meet its annual tree-trimming goal since the late 1990s. (Michael Waddell/The Daily Memphian file)
If MLGW had met its tree-trimming goals, trees would have caused an estimated 25 circuit outages in 2020, according to utility President and CEO Doug McGowen. Instead, they caused 120.
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Memphis Light Gas & Water Doug McGowen City Council power outages tree trimmingKeely Brewer
Keely Brewer is a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color in Memphis. She is working in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, a sustainable reporting network aimed at telling water and agriculture stories across the Mississippi River Basin.
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