COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Power crews are taking a proactive approach to prevent outages this spring — by giving ospreys a safer place to call home.
As nesting season ramps up, crews are installing 35- to 60-foot poles topped with dedicated nesting platforms. The goal is simple: keep large bird nests away from live electrical equipment, where they can cause outages or even fires.
It’s part of a broader effort to reduce animal-related disruptions. So far in 2025, crews have installed more than 18,000 animal protection devices across the service area, including these elevated nesting structures.
In Pickerington, about 5,000 customers recently lost power after an osprey nest fell into electrical equipment, triggering an outage and sparking a fire. According to a line crew supervisor, the nest burned up — but fortunately, there were no eggs or chicks inside, and the adult bird was not harmed.
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After the outage, crews installed a 60-foot nesting pole nearby and relocated the nest to the new platform. The osprey later returned to its new home.