Ohio Edison crews recently partnered with state and federal wildlife agencies to safely remove an osprey chick and egg from a nest in Trumbull County. The young birds were transported to Birds in Flight Sanctuary, where they will be cared for until they’re ready to be released back into the wild.

“Ospreys are impressive builders,” said Amy Ruszala, Permitting Supervisor, Environmental Services. “They quickly construct large nests using sticks, grass and other materials. But when those nests are built on our poles, they can create hazards – especially when wet materials conduct electricity, increasing the risk of fires, outages and harm to the birds.”

By taking proactive steps, our teams helped reduce those risks.

Part of a Bigger Picture

This relocation is just one example of how FirstEnergy continues to strengthen its approach to avian protection and system reliability. Across our service territory, we’re using smarter tools and better strategies to stay ahead of potential issues, including:

• Adding avian safe design standards to our distribution standards
• Utilizing drones to monitor nests in harder to reach areas
• Using a mobile app to quickly report avian activity

Great Work in the Field

The nest in Warren is scheduled for removal at the end of the month and will be the first active nest FirstEnergy has removed this year. Crews have already removed several inactive nests during the non-nesting season (September through April) across Penn Power, Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison and JCP&L.

This effort reflects the care, coordination and expertise our teams bring to their work every day. By collaborating with wildlife agencies and following best practices, we’re protecting natural habitats while continuing to deliver safe, reliable power.