We have a longstanding commitment to handling our business in ways that preserve and promote a clean, safe and healthy environment for all, including our wildlife.

A group of our feathered friends will be finding this out in March. A family of ospreys will soon be returning to their nest from a warm trip down south, but they’ll be returning to a new location. 

Our teams in Cumberland County are working on upgrading a stretch of transmission lines along Rossmoyne Road and Interstate 76 in Mechanicsburg. Wooden poles like the one seen below are being replaced with the more reliable metal structures that surround it. This will increase reliability for customers in the Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland and West Shore areas. 

The ospreys’ nest once sat on that wooden pole in the picture above. But in order to replace the pole, the nest had to be moved. 

Thanks to a conscious construction and environmental team, the ospreys are being given a safer home just feet away from their original dwelling.  

In early February, crews removed the osprey nest from the wooden utility pole but made sure to keep the nest intact. Meanwhile, the team ordered a 55-foot platform that was put up across the road from the power lines at the end of the month. The osprey nest is now perched on top of this platform, giving the birds a higher, 360-degree view of their habitat – and the ongoing reliability project – below.  

“Ospreys use the same nest every year,” said Tom Eby, a senior environmental pro at PPL Electric overseeing the project. “When they come back to this area, they’ll notice that their nest has moved, but they’ll also notice that it isn’t far away. We’ve done projects like this in the past and we’ve seen strong results.” 

Ospreys were once listed as an endangered species, and the population reached as low as a singular nest in Pennsylvania. Thanks to many efforts to reintroduce the species to the area, the population has now rebounded. Our team has partnered with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and others over the years to construct more than a dozen platforms like this. 

Providing good nesting areas away from our power lines is not just good for our wildlife, it is also good for our customers’ reliability. This project is an example of the work we do year-round to build a stronger, more resilient grid.  

“Increased reliability for our customers is always the goal, but building a platform for these majestic birds is icing on the cake for us,” Eby said. 

The three-year transmission project is almost finished; the ospreys’ old home was perched on one of the last-standing wooden poles. The job is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. While we work, we know our eyes in the sky will be watching closely.