WASHINGTON, DC, (ENS) - Updated technical guidelines aimed at helping electric utilities prevent bird electrocutions and ensure reliable power delivery were issued Tuesday by a committee composed of members of the electricity industry and several government agencies.
The Avian Power Line Interaction Committee - comprised of members from the Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Edison Electric Institute and 18 electric utilities - released 2006 Suggested Practices for Avian Protection on Power Lines.
The guidelines say that power line structures can present electrocution hazards to birds when less than adequate separation exists between energized conductors or between energized conductors and hardware or grounded conductors and hardware.
The guidelines recommend a 60 inch separation for eagles, to make way for their broad wingspan.
Avian safe power structures can be provided by increasing separations, covering energized parts and/or grounded parts with materials that will prevent contact with birds, and applying perch management techniques, the guidelines recommend.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service first began working with the electric utility industry in the early 1970s. Officially the Avian Power Line Interaction Committee was formed in 1989.
Committee membership now includes representatives from the 18 investor-owned utilities, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Electric Power Research Institute, two federal utility agencies.
"For nearly three decades, this group of industry and conservation partners has been working in earnest to minimize bird and power line conflicts," said Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett. "The publication offers the latest techniques to both protect birds and ensure reliable electricity distribution at the same time."
"The 2006 Suggested Practices manual, while a significant tool and advancement of our collective knowledge, is just the latest success from this long-term partnership involving utilities, conservation interests and regulatory groups," said Brad Loveless of Westar Energy in Kansas and president of the Avian Power Line Interaction Committee. "When we share information and concerns, we find our best solutions."
"Last year, power companies significantly stepped up their commitments to avian protection by agreeing to develop and implement new conservation measures," Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn said. "The 2006 Suggested Practices guide reflects the most effective engineering practices available and provides detailed technical guidance to help utilities reach their conservation and system reliability goals."
An interactive website for the 2006 Suggested Practices document is online at: www.aplic.org