Putting our commitment to the environment into action, we are involved in various conservation projects throughout our service area.
Earth Day is a great time to recognize the ways we can reduce our energy consumption.
On Earth Day, BGE representatives spoke at several events to share information with our customers about energy efficiency, conservation, energy choice and more. Sharing this information and meeting our customers is always a top priority for BGE.
BGE is recognized by industry leaders such as ENERGY STAR, the Audubon Society, Wildlife Habitat Council and the National Wildlife Federation and spends Earth Day educating our local communities about ways to preserve and protect our planet.
To serve as a model for conservation, BGE employees also participated in an Eco-Challenge where more than 500 participants reduced energy consumption and waste. Through this challenge and other efforts, we were also able to commend our employees with our Environmental Achievement awards for their personal dedication to environmental sustainability.
Earth Day is a great time to recognize the ways we can reduce our energy consumption. However, we encourage employees and customers to practice energy efficiency every day and check out the programs that BGE provides to help make this possible.
BGE erected two Osprey nest platforms in Baltimore City and Annapolis to provide a safe place for Ospreys to nest.
BGE erected two Osprey nest platforms in Baltimore City and Annapolis to provide a safe place for Ospreys to nest, while also protecting the integrity of BGE’s overhead power lines. Ospreys, which are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, occasionally nest near BGE’s electric distribution equipment. Bird nests on or near electric equipment may cause power outages and endanger the birds.
These two platforms join nearly 40 other Osprey nest platforms erected by BGE throughout central Maryland to ensure the birds have a safe place to nest that does not have the potential to interfere with the electric distribution system.
"We sometimes do some crazy things in the course of a day's work," said Grady Robinson, BGE crew leader who was part of the Osprey nesting platform construction. "But I never dreamed I'd be building Osprey nests when I started at BGE 21 years ago! It’s a unique experience for our linemen, and they really enjoy creating a safe nesting location for the birds."
BGE worked closely with the Port of Baltimore to have a permanent Osprey nesting platform erected at Pier 8 in Baltimore City before Osprey nesting season began. In addition, BGE erected a temporary platform in Annapolis, where several Ospreys were trying to build a nest on BGE’s electric distribution equipment. After the nesting season is over and the birds and their young have left the nest, BGE plans to build a permanent nesting platform for the birds in a nearby location.
Check out more with our Osprey Watch initiative!
To view a video of the construction and erection of the Osprey nesting platform in Baltimore City’s Pier 8, visit BGE’s YouTube channel. Also, visit our Flickr page for additional photographs.
BGE partners with great organizations and companies throughout Maryland.
BGE partners with great organizations and companies throughout Maryland. This work stems from the belief that the well-being of the communities we serve is very important to our well-being as a company.
"This is really important, and it is just an awesome experience for employees to come together with other resources to benefit the community," said Kenny Gostomski, Senior Construction Inspector, who coordinated a project that was part of the United Way initiative. BGE worked with the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks to clean up urban green space and practice hands-on environmental stewardship in Druid Hill Park and many other city community green spaces.
In addition to enhancing the community recreation area, the conservation effort also helped preserve 200-year-old rare oak trees. Anne Draddy, Jones Falls Trail Manager for the City of Baltimore, stated "This city/business partnership is fantastic. All of the people and equipment here today are making a huge difference. I had no idea BGE employees volunteered for projects like this. It’s very exciting."
Creating lasting partnerships is very important to BGE which helps contribute to many finished projects and employee volunteer opportunities. To learn more about how an organization can work with BGE, please visit our Doing Business with Us page.
BGE created a 25-acre wetland habitat at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center near Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County.
BGE created a 25-acre wetland habitat at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center near Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County. The project allowed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand its research center and the U.S. Army turned formerly unusable real estate into an environmental showcase. Today, the public continues to benefit by having a beautiful educational site to visit and view wildlife in its natural habitat.
This new area serves as mitigation for wetlands affected by the construction of a transmission loop near Washington, D.C. that impacted 13 acres of federally protected wetlands. In addition to the Patuxent site, an additional two acre wetland area was created at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.
BGE received the Southeastern Electric Exchange Industry Excellence Award in the environmental category for its American Bald Eagle Relocation Project.
A pair of eagles created a great deal of concern over a nest they were building high atop a key BGE high-voltage transmission tower at Marley Creek in Anne Arundel County. With an eye toward its commitment to environmental stewardship and electric reliability, BGE took the initiative to create a safe nesting platform for the American Bald Eagles. This was the first time an American utility had relocated an American Bald Eagle’s nest.
Greg Kappler, senior environmental scientist for BGE, was extremely concerned about the danger to the birds because of the proximity of the nest to the energized lines. This particular high-voltage transmission line feeds directly into the electric power grid of the greater Baltimore area. Although Kappler was relieved to find that no eggs had been laid, he knew that BGE had to move fast. Since eagles are federally protected, he contacted a representative from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to inform the national organization about the situation and to discuss BGE’s recommendation to relocate the nest.
BGE's Transmission Engineering and Transmission Construction organizations designed, measured and installed a lattice platform upon which to relocate the existing nest. Several crew members used the Condor Aerial lift to install the new platform, remove the existing inactive nest materials from the tower and gingerly relocate the nest to the new platform. The new platform needed to take into account the heavy weight potential of an American Bald Eagle’s nest.
As the men worked, the birds watched their every move from a nearby tower. "It’s a unique opportunity to do something like this for the environment," added Dave Kammer, transmission crew leader for BGE. "In our line of work, there’s something different going on every day. This kind of project makes our jobs even more interesting."
As the crews were leaving the site that afternoon, one eagle flew to the lattice platform and perched there. Several hours later, the pair was seen making adjustments to the newly relocated nest.
"Watching the eagles sit in their nest on the new platform gave me such a good feeling—one of pride and accomplishment—that our company handled this situation the way it did. It’s just a great story," said Larry Bosley, supervisor of transmission construction.
Learn how to reduce energy bills and improve community tree canopies.
Plant a Free Tree and Conserve Energy
BGE, through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, provides a limited number of free trees to BGE customers to help reduce energy bills and improve community tree canopies.
Scientists agree that properly planted trees could help to reduce your energy use through summer shading and slowing cold winter winds. As your trees grow, they can lower your energy bills by up to 15 to 30 percent.
For a limited time, free trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to BGE customers who agree to plant them in safe, energy-saving locations.
To reserve your free tree or to sign up on the waitlist:
Customers are reminded to call 811 BEFORE digging to avoid hitting underground utilities. For more information, call 1-855-234-3801 between the business hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
