Environmental Stewardship

Managing NU's Transmission Corridors for Wildlife

NU's transmission rights-of-way corridors are much more than pathways for power lines. They are also home to a variety of wildlife which studies show thrive in these corridors as a result of our award-winning maintenance program.

NU’s maintenance program preserves and establishes open corridors of low-growing native plant species that provide an ideal habitat for a wide variety of wildlife found in southern New England.

We work with wildlife and wildlife habitat experts to determine how to best support certain species. Selectively-applied herbicides are administered in low volume and under low pressure, and only to certain plant species. Preliminary results of studies performed in NU's rights of way indicate these management techniques have a positive impact on the development of wildlife and their habitats.

Our management strategies have been recognized by the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Environmental Protection Agency, which in 2003 named NU as the first energy utility to receive its Champion Award under the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program.