BRECKSVILLE, Ohio, June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illuminating
Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), recently
partnered with wildlife officials to protect an active red-tailed
hawk nest containing eggs situated on a transformer near an
energized power line in Strongsville. The proactive work will also
prevent power disruptions in the area that could be caused by the
fire hazard created from a wet nest capable of conducting
electricity.
To keep the birds safe until the hatchlings fledge in the fall,
the company worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to install
a new pole and transformer adjacent to the existing equipment.
Power was redirected to the new equipment and the equipment around
the nest was de-energized without impacting service to
customers.
"Disturbing or removing nests can be a complicated task due to
environmental regulations," said Amy
Ruszala, an environmental scientist and avian expert at
FirstEnergy. "When a nest with eggs is situated on our equipment
and poses a serious threat to the birds' safety and our service
reliability, we work with state and federal wildlife officials to
devise a plan to keep the birds out of harm's way and the power
flowing reliably to our customers."
Birds of prey, like red-tailed hawks, often seek out tall
structures, including utility poles and electric transmission
towers, to build their nests. These nesting habits often place the
birds near energized electrical equipment – jeopardizing their
well-being and potentially causing power outages.
When the birds head south for the winter, The Illuminating
Company personnel plan to remove the transformer on which the hawk
nest is currently situated. They will also install nesting
deterrents atop the new electrical equipment to discourage birds
from nesting there in the future.
Protecting birds is nothing new to FirstEnergy and its
utilities. The company has made great strides enhancing its avian
protection efforts, including the implementation of drones to
complete bird nest inspections and deployment of a mobile app that
allows utility personnel to report avian issues in real time,
stream that lining the process to protect nesting birds and enhance
electric service reliability. These ongoing efforts continue to
help reduce power outages caused by nesting birds.
The Illuminating Company serves 755,000 customers across
Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake
and Lorain counties. Connect with
The Illuminating Company at www.illuminatingcompany.com, on Twitter
@IlluminatingCo and on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at
www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on
Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of the red-tailed hawk eggs
and The Illuminating Company personnel installing the new equipment
are available for download on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.