Medina EC's service area features about 10,000 miles of line, many poles, cross-arms, switches and insulators. Electric equipment, while important to the co-op and its members, offers unnatural perches and nesting areas for many species of birds. In addition, lines can pose collision hazards for some birds in flight. When avian species come in to contact with electric equipment, it can be dangerous for the birds and cause power outages and damage equipment.

In 2021, Medina EC will complete an Avian Risk Assessment of the distribution system. The ARA will identify utility infrastructure that poses increased risk for electrocution or collision hazard to birds and will aid in the final development of the co-ops Avian Protection Plan. The overall goal of the APP is for the cooperative to deliver more reliable electricity to members since many outages on the system are caused by wildlife. Medina EC’s APP will be managed by our certified wildlife biologist.

As an electric cooperative, Medina EC is committed to providing reliable power to members and takes seriously the importance of the protection of wildlife. An Avian Protection Plan will help Medina EC mitigate the risk of wildlife dangers and reduce the potential for avian hazards while improving long-term reliability on the power system that would otherwise be impacted by avian-related outages.