Retired or broken power poles are getting special “tree-tment” as part of Ameren Illinois’ new utility pole recycling program and the results are positive. In 2022, the initiative’s first year, the company diverted nearly 750 tons of wood waste from being discarded into local landfills.
“We want to do the right thing for the environment by keeping our decommissioned power poles out of landfills,” said Kyle Maxwell, superintendent of Electric Operations, Ameren Illinois. “We started the program in 2022 and it was a success. We recycled 750 tons of power poles and reduced the amount of dumpster waste at our operating centers.”
Ameren Missouri recycled nearly 185 tons of power poles. Power poles are damaged or retired for several reasons:
- Poles broken after a storm
- Poles broken after a vehicle accident
- Upgrade or storm harden the electric grid to remove poles at the end of lifespan
- Commercial or industry business leaves a community and the poles and equipment need to be removed.