Nothing is more gratifying to Casey Rishel than knowing the work he does each day helps PPL Electric Utilities deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 1.5 million customers.

As a forester, Rishel plays a key role in balancing two important responsibilities: managing trees so they don’t cause power outages and protecting and preserving wooded areas.

He’s a member of a team of foresters that oversees year-round tree trimming and other vegetation work that helps keep power lines clear to prevent outages.

“During our storm response and routine maintenance, it’s very rewarding when you are able to explain to a customer the process that a tree crew is going to use to remove or trim trees,” said Rishel, who is based at PPL Electric’s Montoursville Service Center in Lycoming County. “Many times, it involves specialized equipment or unique methods of rigging.

“Making sure customers know what will be happening on their property or an adjacent property when tree crews do their work and making sure everyone in work areas stay safe are top priorities.”

Rishel, who was born and raised in Lycoming County and earned a forestry degree from Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, is a certified arborist and licensed applicator. He’s among the expert foresters on PPL Electric’s staff that work with line clearance-certified arborists to thoughtfully prune and remove trees along power lines and high-voltage power corridors.

Foresters work directly with line clearance-qualified tree contractors who do the work on a cyclical basis. Before any pruning or tree removal occurs, vegetation conditions are assessed based on each tree’s species, growth rates, distance from the lines and time since the last vegetation work was performed.

And when we do the work, our goal is to complete it in a professional manner, treat private property with care and remain sensitive to individual landowner concerns about vegetation management while doing the work that is needed to improve electric service reliability for all customers.

In 2024, our crews trimmed trees along more than 5,000-plus miles of roadways and rights of way and removed more than 13,000 trees identified as having the potential to cause outages for our customers.

For more information on our foresters, the line clearing work we do and planting and safety tips for customers, visit pplelectric.com/LineClearing.