Pillar 2: Environmental Footprint

Protecting birds

PGE understands the inherent impact our business has on our environment, and we continually work to reduce that impact. A key project in 2017 focused on reducing the risk of bird electrocutions on our power lines. Birds like to perch and nest on power poles and other utility equipment, which can cause problems for both the birds and PGE customers.

To address the issue, we developed a new process to manage osprey nesting incidents on power poles, responding to them as emergency incidents and placing protective covers on equipment as soon as nests are observed. We also rolled out new bird-safe standards for the way we construct our distribution poles across the service territory. These new measures not only help to keep birds safe, but also improve our ability to provide reliable power to customers.

With the success of the project last year, we’re now mandating that all new installations and maintenance work designed after Aug. 15, 2018 must include bird-safety features such as preventative wire spacing and protective wire covers that keep wires a safe distance apart.