NSTAR Named by National Arbor Day Foundation to Receive 2005 Tree Line

    Business Editors

    BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2005--

    -- Cited for national leadership in caring for trees --

    The National Arbor Day Foundation has named NSTAR a Tree Line USA utility. The Foundation awards this recognition to utilities that demonstrate exemplary practices in tree care, worker training, and public outreach programs.
    National Arbor Day Foundation President John Rosenow congratulated NSTAR for its achievement in a letter to NSTAR Chairman, President and CEO Thomas J. May. "Your utility's effort in meeting Tree Line USA requirements - helping your customers to plant appropriate trees near utility lines and training your workers in quality tree-care practices - not only helps to provide beautiful trees for the future, but also results in long-term operational savings for your utility."
    "Trees make our communities more livable, increase property values, and help clean the air. And trees conserve energy, which is especially important to utilities as peak demand is reduced," added Rosenow.
    "This honor acknowledges our commitment to sound tree maintenance and to keeping our customers informed of our ongoing work in their communities," said Paul Sellers, senior arborist for NSTAR. "We're proud to have our company recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation with this Tree Line USA award."
    NSTAR's innovative tree maintenance program was key to its selection for this honor for the fifth year in a row by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Now in its seventh year, NSTAR's program combines pre-planning by certified arborists and utility foresters, state-of-the-art trimming methods and proactive community involvement. The successful combination of these factors has resulted in widespread acceptance of NSTAR's program by state and local forestry experts. The goal of the program is to improve electric service reliability through superior, cost-effective tree maintenance.
    NSTAR transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including over one million electric customers in 81 communities and nearly 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities. For more information, visit www.nstaronline.com.
    Editors' note: Photo available. Please call Mike Durand for a photo of NSTAR senior arborists Paul Sellers and Bill Hayes with Stephen R. Pritchard, commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Ellen Roy Herzfelder, secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs at the 2005 Tree City / Tree Line USA Forum and Awards Ceremony held at the Massachusetts State House.

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CONTACT: NSTAR Michael Durand, 508-441-5831 Evening and weekends: 617-541-7888

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: UTILITIES OIL/GAS ENERGY SOURCE: NSTAR

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