BGE - Baltimore Gas and Electric Company

03/29/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/29/2021 10:19

BGE Offering 950 Free Trees to Customers through Energy-Saving Trees Partnership with Arbor Day Foundation

Trees planted in the right place can reduce energy bills for customers

BALTIMORE (March 29, 2021) - BGE is providing its customers with 950 free trees in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees Program, which encourages people to conserve energy and reduce energy bills through strategic tree planting.

The tree varieties-Redbud, Red Maple, Serviceberry, Swamp White Oak, and White Dogwood-are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be shipped to BGE customers at no cost. Trees arrive in 1-gallon pots and are generally between two and four feet tall. Order limit is one tree per service address, and customers may place orders at arborday.org/bge.

During the tree reservation process, customers will be able to view information about each tree's mature height and spread. Properly planted trees can help reduce energy use through summer shading and by slowing cold winter winds. When planted properly, a single tree that grows over time can save a homeowner up to 20 percent on energy costs. However, selecting the wrong tree or wrong planting location can result in significant pruning or removal, and increases the risk of serious electric service interruptions in the future. Before planting a tree, customers are advised to:

BGE's partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation is now in its ninth year. During that time, nearly 18,500 BGE customers have received more than 32,000 trees through the joint effort. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, those trees planted by BGE customers will over 20 years absorb 692,000 pounds of air pollutants, sequester 209 million pounds of carbon, filter one million gallons of stormwater, provide $23 million in combined energy and community benefits to the communities BGE serves, and save more than 46,000 megawatt hours of electricity. The electricity savings alone equates to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from 7,100 cars driven for one year.

In 2019, BGE's parent company, Exelon, joined the Arbor Day Foundation's Evergreen Alliance, a dedicated group of corporate partners that have made a long-term commitment to helping the Arbor Day Foundation reach its goal of planting 100 million trees and inspiring five million tree planters by 2022. Evergreen Alliance members provide funding and spearhead tree-planting programs and educational campaigns to drive consumer awareness and action, particularly among their own global employees.

Exelon operating companies in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation have distributed more than 115,000 free trees to homeowners in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania through the Energy-Saving Trees Program. These 115,000 trees are projected to bring $67 million in environmental benefits to the communities Exelon serves.

More information about the Energy-Saving Trees Program is available at bge.com.

About the Arbor Day Foundation:
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters, and valued partners. During the last 45 years, more than 350 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org.

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BGE is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility, providing safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.3 million electric customers and more than 680,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company was founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility and remains headquartered in Baltimore City to this day. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com and connect with BGE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.