TNMP’s Avian Protection Plan Protecting Birds and Reducing Liability SWEDE Conference April, 2012.
Transcript of TNMP’s Avian Protection Plan Protecting Birds and Reducing Liability SWEDE Conference April, 2012.
Why Bother with an APP?• Recent enforcement actions prompted TNMP
to produce an APP• In 2002-2007, PG&E required $3.5 million a year retrofits
• In 2009, PacifiCorp fined $510,000, paid $900,000 in restitution, and must spend $9.1 million in the next 5 years to retrofit poles in Wyoming (spent $7 mil in 2009 alone)
• FP&L currently under investigation and grand jury subpoena for violations of the MBTA and BGEPA
• All of these utilities have active bird programs and Pacificorp’s program is state of the art
• Investment in bird protection improves reliability and reduces O&M over time
What is the Issue with Birds and Power Lines?
• Birds use utility poles• Hunting, resting, roosting, nesting• Shading from sun or rain/snow• Utility poles can create habitat
• Bird mortalities result from electrocution or collision
• Electrocution generally occurs on distribution, not transmission
• Collisions can occur on either• Weather and the age, size, and
species of bird are all important variables
Electrocution
• Electrocution typically occurs on distribution– Most commonly on
equipment poles– Birds can go phase to
phase or phase to ground
• The good news is that poles can be made avian safe
Avian-Safe Separations
• The Avian Power Line Interaction Committee (APLIC) recommends phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground separations based on skin-to-skin measurements of golden eagles– 60 inch horizontal separation
and
– 40 inch vertical separation
• Achieved through insulation or isolation
Collision• Occurs on distribution
and transmission, especially on static wires
• Huge issue within the 200 mile wide whooping crane corridor which passes from Aransas north to Canada
• Last migratory flock on earth with < 300 birds
What does the USFWS expect?
• The USFWS expects utilities to implement serious measures to reduce bird mortality– Identify priorities for limiting mortality– Implement a work plan for achieving priorities– Demonstrate that identified steps are being
implemented
• Communicate with the USFWS• Best way to achieve these steps is
– APP with a prioritized work plan– Dedicated budget for its implementation
What is in an APP?• Statement of
Commitment• Training• Permit Compliance• Construction Design
Standards• Injured and Dead Bird
and Nest Management• Avian Reporting
System
• Risk Assessment Methodology
• Mortality Reduction Measures
• Avian Enhancements• Quality Control• Public Awareness• Key Resources
TNMP’s New APP
• Designed to meet USFWS expectations
• Identified project teams to examine issues
• Organized according to APLIC/USFWS 12 principles and includes – Preventative– Reactive, and– Proactive measures
Producing APP Takes a Team
Topic Teams Issues StatusAutomate reporting
ISS, North Texas Engineering, Corporate Systems, ESD
Automate import of bird guard and outage interruption data into ArcGIS
Ongoing
Standards review
PNM Standards, North Texas Engineering, South Texas Engineering, ESD
Evaluate current standards for avian safetyDevelop avian safe structures for narrow ROWReview and evaluate cover-up materials
Ongoing
Problem equipment
Standards, ESD GOLB & Capacitors Interim fixes identified, researching avian safe switches and capacitors
Transmission North and South Texas Engineering, ESD,
Use raptor safe construction in HotwingsDevelop raptor safe distribution under build
Complete. Using conductor covers on distribution underbuild
Substations Substations, ESD Ensure new stations constructed with adequate clearances and or cover-upDevelop retrofit options for old stations
Under investigation. Bird guard old stations on case by case basis
Promptly addressing bird guard requests
Regional subpermittees, North Texas Engineering, ESD
Ensure poles, equipment resulting in mortality are promptly bird guarded
Complete. Finalizing ways to track.
Teams and IssuesTopic Teams Issues StatusFeeder level bird guard
Asset management, North Texas Engineering, ESD
Explore bird guard capitalization Complete
Seeking funds for feeder level retrofits
ESD, North Texas Engineering, TNMP President,
Prepare business case and request funds for capital bird guard project
Complete and ongoing.
Problem feeder identification
North Texas Engineering, ESD
Develop methodology and prioritize poor performing feeders by area and bird guard
Complete. Poorly performing feeders targeted in 2011. High risk spans within crane and eagle hotwings are identified in APP.
Developing risk assessment models for whooping crane and bald eagle
ESD, ISS Developed a habitat quality model for whooping cranes and bald eagles to define Hotwings. Migrate bald eagle and whooping crane Hotwings into ArcFM. Integrate into work order and project screening process for TNMP.
Complete and ongoing. Habitat quality models and risk assessment complete. Hotwings to be migrated in ArcFM and integrated into screening process for TNMP projects.
USFWS Reporting
ESD, ISS, North Texas Engineering
Develop and maintain mortality report in a format compatible with USFWS voluntary reporting system
Complete. ESD to begin to track TNMP mortality in USFWS compatible format.
TNMP Statement of Commitment
Management commitment is key to the successful implementation of an APP
Training, Training, Training…• Training in the
importance of bird issues is nothing short of culture change
• Training with live birds is effective
• TNMP training includes
• Handling dead and injured birds
• Bird guarding SOP• Line Marking SOP• Vegetation Management
Distribution Standards Review
• Systematic review of existing standards for avian safety – Use of cover-up materials
to make existing standards avian safe
– Adoption of PNM Chapter 19 for avian safe standards for use by TNMP
Assessing Risk• Each utility has to assess its
highest risk
• TNMP service territory falls within the Aransas Wood Buffalo whooping crane corridor and crane collision is the largest liability
• TNMP has an expanding bald eagle population within its service territory
• Developed whooping crane and bald eagle habitat models to evaluate risk
Whooping Crane Habitat Model
• Developed model after discussions with USFWS crane coordinator and literature review
• Line collision during crane stopover has been identified as a leading source of mortality (38%)
• Cranes prefer• Shallow unconsolidated bottom wetlands close to
appropriate forage (such as agricultural fields)• Flat open terrain with unobstructed visibility
• GIS layers used to identify these habitats• Assigned value to layer cells to identify very high,
high, moderate, low, and very low quality habitat
Bald Eagle Habitat Model
• Developed model after discussions with Texas Parks and Wildlife eagle biologist and literature review
• Eagles prefer• Water bodies >35 acres in size or > 10 m in width• Areas at least 500 m away from human
development• High tree height to support nesting and roosting• High ratio of water to land
• Assigned value to layer cells to identify very high, high, moderate, low, and very low quality habitat
Risk Assessment
• TNMP electric infrastructure overlain on GIS habitat models
• Cranes at risk of collision whereas eagles at risk of electrocution
• TNMP poles and spans assigned the same risk as the underlying habitat
• Line spans within whooping crane Hotwings ranked in terms of very high to low risk
• Poles, equipment within eagle Hotwings ranked in the same manner
• Very high risk poles and spans identified for bird guard and marking
Risk Assessment
• TNMP electric infrastructure overlain on GIS habitat models
• Cranes at risk of collision whereas eagles at risk of electrocution
• TNMP poles and spans assigned the same risk as the underlying habitat
• Line spans within whooping crane Hotwings ranked in terms of very high to low risk
• Poles, equipment within eagle Hotwings ranked in the same manner
• Very high risk poles and spans identified for bird guard and marking
Preventative Measures
• Encourages designers to avoid eagle and whooping crane Hotwings
• Requires that new construction in whooping crane Hotwings is built to avian safe standards and lines appropriately marked
• Requires that new construction in bald eagle habitat is built to avian-safe standards
• Bird guard all new equipment as part of routine maintenance
Reactive Measures
• Ensure timely response to bird mortality• Poles/equipment resulting in bird mortality bird
guarded within 90 days– Facilitated by new GIS-based reporting system– Tracks mortality and bird guarded poles/equipment in GIS by
automated upload
• Ability to track bird guard request through completion• Reports generated in USFWS compatible format on
an on-going basis
Proactive Measures
• Provide resources and training to improve employee’s knowledge and awareness
• Partner with bird conservation/rehabilitation organizations– TNMP partners with Bay Area and Rogers Wildlife
Rehabilitation – Through ESD, TNMP sits on the Whooping Crane Habitat
Conservation Plan steering committee with USFWS– Corporate sponsor Rains County Eagle Fest– Community crew projects throughout TNMP service territory
• Through PNM, TNMP participates in APLIC
Proactive Measures cont.
• New Environmental Management System screening form urges designers to check whether project occurs in “Hotwings”
• Establishes SOPs for – Handling dead and injured birds and problem nests– What, when and how to bird guard– Marking lines for collision
• New system for tracking bird mortality and bird and collision retrofits
• Bird guard program identifies priorities and addresses them through a bird guard budget
Proactive Measures cont.
• Cornerstone of proactive measures is bird guard program
• Evaluate “at risk” poles and spans within whooping crane and bald eagle Hotwings
• Evaluate poorly performing feeders
• Dedicated budget to bird guard and mark lines as appropriate
Proactive Measures cont.
• APP crane and bald eagle models used to evaluate spans for bird guard and marking
Whooping Crane Committee
• Migration corridor of the last self sustaining whooping crane population passes through the country’s best wind resource
• USFWS worried about the rapid expansion of wind farms and interconnections on this fragile population
• Has convened wind developers and utilities within the crane corridor to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to support issuance of Incidental Take Permits
• USFWS issued a notice of intent to produce an EIS on wind development HCP in July, 2011
Whooping Crane Committee
• USFWS convened utilities through APLIC in January 2010 to initiate a similar process
• TNMP is participating in the steering committee
Summary• New APP is a robust program aimed at reducing avian
mortality and increasing system reliability
• New APP meets USFWS expectations with clearly articulated work plan
– Bird guard lethal structures– Bird guard as part of routine maintenance– Hotwings in ArcFM and T&D EMS screening results in systematic use of
avian-safe construction/marking in Hotwings– Bird guard program addresses areas of highest species risk– Mortality and bird guard tracked in GIS format– Automated GIS process allows emerging issues to be identified and
addressed– Bird guarded 1,728 poles during 2011
• Collectively these steps reduce liability, increase reliability and have the potential to decrease O&M cost over time
Going Forward
• Adopt avian friendly design standards as default• Evaluate of the effectiveness of increased bird guard
in decreasing mortality and increasing reliability• Continue to involve vegetation management in avian
protection• Bird guard and mark spans in eagle and crane
Hotwings• Whether capital or O&M, a dedicated bird guard
budget is critical to limit liability now and in the future