BALTIMORE — In an effort to curb energy spending with “strategic tree planting,” Baltimore Gas and Electric began making available Monday 1,000 free trees for customers to plant in a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees Program.
The trees are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be shipped to BGE customers at no cost. Customers are limited to two trees per household. Orders can be placed online. The tress are roughly 4 feet tall when they arrive. The 1,000 trees are allotted as 200 Swamp White Oaks, 200 Shadblow Serviceberries, 200 Red Maples, 200 Flowering Dogwoods, and 200 Tuliptrees.
Strategically planting trees can reduce energy use, creating cooling shade in the summer and buffering cold winds in the winter. To take full effect of the potential 15 to 30 percent savings in energy costs, as well as to not create a potential safety or service risk with the planting of a new tree, residents who participate in the program are encouraged to check with a Maryland Licensed Professional Forester, a Certified Arborists, or a nursery expert for advice, call 811 so a contractor can identify potential buried utilities, review BGE’s safety guidelines, and go to Access Arbor Day’s website for more information.
