Residents upset over Duke Energy’s tree trimming

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Their trees aren’t going down without a fight. That’s what residents of Live Oak Drive in Wrightsville Beach are saying to Duke Energy.

Dozens of residents showed up as a show of force against Duke Energy. The issue is that Duke Energy wants to pull trees away from the power lines by trimming the branches.

Duke Energy already did it to the majority of the trees on the block. But residents said they cut down the canopy and hurt the trees.

Duke Energy came out again today to trim the rest of the trees, and the residents refused to move. And residents say when Duke Energy comes out tomorrow; they’ll still be there.

Duke Energy released a statement this afternoon:

“Trees and other vegetation are one of the leading causes of outages for utilities in the Southeast. Tree trimming can be a pain point for customers, and we work to consistently balance aesthetics with our goal to provide safe, reliable power to the households and businesses that depend on us.

We encourage customers to plant the right tree, in the right place. This philosophy focuses on planting the right tree or shrub, in the right place, allowing residents to have years of beauty and value without the potential dangers of getting too close to power lines.

Duke Energy presented to the Wrightsville Beach Town Council on February 12 to explain why and when we are doing this work. We also are notifying all affected customers with door hangers 3-7 days before trimming begins. And, we have been meeting with customers to answer their questions and concerns as needed.”