#EnergyWings: DTEK Grids energy workers will reinforce over 70 stork nests on the poles in order to prevent power outages for customers and protect the birds
DTEK Grids Distribution System Operators usually carry out reinforcement of nests on electric poles with special metal platforms in autumn, when the birds fly south to warmer areas. Energy workers find out about such nests during scheduled inspections of the grids and with the help of caring customers. In July 2023, the company launched a new feature on the websites of Distribution System Operators in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa regions and in the city of Kyiv that helps customers inform about discovered stork nests on the poles. Over the first 3 months of the feature availability on the websites, DSO received over 200 customer requests.
“Despite the war, DTEK Grids continues to restore and reinforce the energy infrastructure in the regions of business’ presence, as well as develop the grids based on the sustainable development principles. Our energy workers have processed all received customer requests related to stork nests. We have checked information during our visit of the indicated sites. Wherever it was confirmed that the nest needs to be reinforced, energy workers added it to the list of scheduled activities for the next 3-5 years, depending on the number of requests for the region. Relocation of nests to the platforms will be carried out based on the capabilities of the Distribution System Operator, as energy workers are now mainly preparing the grids for the upcoming winter and processing emergency requests – restoring electricity to the customers’ homes after bad weather, shelling or technological violations. But, as soon as the company’s specialists will have an opportunity – they will definitely take care of the stork nests as well,” – underscored DTEK Grids chief ecologist Olena Potapenko.
Energy workers plan to reinforce 71 nests in 2023. The majority – 50, in the Kyiv region, as well as 15 in the Odesa region, 5 in the Dnipropetrovsk region and 1 in the city of Kyiv. This will help prevent emergencies and power outages for customers. Additionally, this will protect the storks from electrocution and death, when the birds will return to Ukraine in spring. Another 150 nests, about which the customers have informed Distribution System Operators via the feature on the website, as well as all new requests that will be submitted until the end of the year, will be reinforced by the energy workers over the next 3-5 years.
Over the past 10 years, DTEK Grids Distribution System Operators have already reinforced 538 nests on the poles in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Donetsk regions and in the city of Kyiv. This helped prevent power outages for tens of thousands of customers in these regions. According to ecologists’ estimates, it also helped protect at least 10,000 specimens of the white stork.
Since 2021, energy workers relocate stork nests to the metal platforms within the framework of the environmental and educational project #EnergyWings, initiated by DTEK Grids to help preserve population of the white stork in Ukraine and draw attention of the society to an important subject – caring attitude towards wildlife. Its main objective is popularization of protection and preservation of biodiversity, promotion of ESG principles, values and responsibility of business for progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Global Compact. The company constantly involves influencers to participate in the project, who help reinforce nests and take care of the storks. In 2023, the campaign already attracted such famous Ukrainians as Borys Barskyi and Oleh Filimonov.