ST. LOUIS - As pollinator habitats disappear across the country, utilities like Ameren are stepping up to create sanctuaries for bees, beetles, butterflies, bats, and birds on their own property. "Humans and other types of wildlife rely on pollinators to support our food systems, but pollinator habitats, such as open fields, meadows, and forests, are shrinking," said Nancy Morgan, manager of permitting and natural resources at Ameren. "As managers of large parcels of land, utilities can be part of the solution for rebuilding pollinator habitats. At Ameren, we're already working to improve our rights-of-way and land we own to support pollinators where possible. We are also funding pollinator-focused research through EPRI." U.S. utilities own approximately 5 million acres of right-of-way areas and buffer zones around their transmission lines. This land cannot serve any commercial or residential purpose, and large trees cannot grow here because they might interfere with transmission lines.
Continue Reading