VEGETATION MANAGEMENT

To help reduce tree-related outages, Alpena Power Company has an aggressive Vegetation Management Program with a goal of clearing approximately 20% of our lines each year. This trimming cycle ensures that all lines on our system are cleared of potentially troublesome trees over each 5-year period, resulting in increased system reliability and reduced customer outages. When trimming distribution lines, our policy is to trim to 15′ on either side of the line. When trimming transmission lines, we will trim to 25’-50′ on either side of the line depending on the line voltage. Additionally, it’s common to identify trees outside the standard trimming areas that pose a significant risk to the safety of the community and the reliable operation of our system. When these occur, we will seek your cooperation with our crews to safely address these hazardous trees. APC contracts tree trimming professionals who will carry Alpena Power Company identification. If you are not sure who is on your property trimming trees, please ask to see this identification. If there is a tree on your property interfering with Alpena Power Company power lines or if you have questions about our Vegetation Management Program, please call: 358-4941 or Toll Free: 866-358-4900 The main Vegetation Management areas for 2020 include:

  • Ossineke south of Old Ossineke Rd
  • Spruce south of Beaver Lake Rd
  • Village and Township of Hillman
  • Northside of Alpena north of Second Ave

Cleaning Up Trees and Debris after a Storm:

In the aftermath of a storm, our crews will work to trim or remove any tree that is interfering with power restoration. After power has been restored and it is safe, it is the property owner’s responsibility to clean up trees or debris left on their property following emergency tree trimming or removal.

Energy Saving Tips:

  • Invest in a programmable thermostat
  • Seal air leaks around windows and doors
  • Replace light bulbs with LED bulbs
  • Clean furnace filters
  • Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes
  • Set water heater temperature to 120°

The 2020 winter season is upon us. We encourage anyone who is having difficulty paying their power bill to contact Alpena Power Company’s collection department immediately. We will gladly work with customers to make satisfactory payment arrangements. The collection department can be reached by calling (989) 358-4900. Many state and local agencies have energy assistance programs available. If you need help paying your power bill, please call 2-1-1. 2-1-1 is a free service for Northeast Michigan, operating 24 hours a day, providing callers with information about financial resources that may be available to help with utility bills and other needs. In addition, senior citizens are protected from shut-off in the winter months (Nov 1st.-April 1st). If you are 65 or older, please call Alpena Power at (989) 358-4900 to verify that your birth date on your account is correct. Seniors and low-income customers can also check with Alpena Power Company to see if they qualify for the winter protection program.

Alpena Power Company wishes you and your family a happy, healthy and successful New Year

Projected Environmental Characteristics of Alpena Power
Company’s Electricity October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019
  Fuel Source Alpena Power’s fuel mix used to generate electricity Regional average fuel mix used to generate electricity (MI, IL, IN, OH and WI)
Coal 34.6% 41.8%
Nuclear 21.6% 26.6%
Gas 33.7% 23.6%
Oil 0.1% 0.4%
Hydroelectric 1.5% 0.8%
Renewable Fuels 8.3% 6.8%
Biofuel 0.1% 0.8%
Biomass <0.1% 0.5%
Solar <0.1% 0.1%
Solid Waste Incineration   1.0%   <0.1%
Wind 4.7% 4.9%
Wood 2.5% 0.4%

Note: Biomass excludes wood; solid waste incineration includes landfill gas

Type of Emission/Waste Alpena Power Average Pounds per Megawatt-hour Regional Average (MI, IL, IN, OH and WI)

Pounds Per Megawatt-hour

Sulfur Dioxide 0.8 1.9
Carbon Dioxide 1630.1 1927.0
Oxides of Nitrogen 0.80 1.2
High-Level Nuclear Waste 0.0069 0.006

Alpena Power purchases 100% of the power it supplies to customers.