direct testimony of the capital expenditures, reliability, and - nyseg

Case 09-E-____; Case 09-G-____ (NYSEG)DIRECT TESTIMONY OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES,RELIABILITY, AND OPERATIONS PANEL12345678910111213141516171819202122system in accordance with established levels of service reliability. The Companyrecently filed a full description of its line clearing program in its ReportRegarding Line Clearance filed on August 24, 2009 in Case 09-E-0472.Q. Can the Panel please elaborate on the need for additional distribution vegetationmanagement?A. The Company currently performs scheduled cycle line clearance on three phaseportions of its distribution system. The balance of distribution circuit lineclearance is prioritized to maximize reliability impact. This approach has allowedNYSEG to achieve its established service quality levels (as measured by theCAIDI and SAIFI targets). However, establishing a full cycle line clearanceprogram for all distribution circuits would support continued reliabilityperformance and in the long run be most cost-effective. Lines on cleared ROWare less likely to sustain interruptions due to tree contact, and it follows thatclearing more ROW on a periodic basis will maintain or improve reliability.Cycle clearing ensures that ROW boundaries are well-established and maintainedon a regular schedule, providing consistent visibility and accessibility toinspection and repair crews. This allows for quicker identification and correctionof problems and facilitates preventive line maintenance. Cycle clearing alsoensures periodic identification and removal of danger trees along the ROW edge.Furthermore, cycle clearing enhances public safety by minimizing the risk thatvegetation will become energized, and lessens the system-wide potential forhuman contact with energized conductors. The reduction in vegetation size,54