Pepco giving away free trees in energy conservation effort

Pepco is giving away more than 1,000 trees in an effort to lower energy costs in the D.C. region.

The offer is available to residential customers through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program.

It comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

Starting Friday, homeowners can visit energysavingtrees.arborday.org to reserve a tree.

One-gallon trees available to customers include River Birch, Eastern Redbud, Cape Myrtle and Red Maple.

Pepco said all trees will be delivered to each customer’s home between four and six weeks from when an online reservation is completed. Trees will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Joining with the Arbor Day Foundation, we are able to provide our customers with a great opportunity to save energy and make a difference in the environment,” said Donna Cooper, Pepco region president in a news release.

“As we recognize the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, while also managing the health and well-being of our families, we are pleased to offer customers a special way to show their support for the future of our planet and promote sustainability in their neighborhood without leaving their homes.”

“Trees provide benefits to a community by improving air and water quality, reducing stormwater runoff and adding to the visual appeal of a neighborhood,” Pepco said in a release.

“Since 2012, Pepco has provided more than 18,650 trees for customers to plant, providing the opportunity for saving nearly 20.9 million kilowatt hours of energy and removing close to 398,000 pounds of air pollutants from the atmosphere, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. The benefits from these trees are projected to provide more than $7.6 million in environmental benefits.”

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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