Goats are world-renowned climbers and are able to eat plants in hard-to-reach places, like steep inclines, where humans and equipment have trouble accessing. That’s why every summer, ComEd enlists the help of goats to keep trees and brush along transmission lines under control – a key strategy to thwart interference with power lines, sustainably, in order to uphold our nation-leading power reliability.
This year, over 100 goats are employed to eat through 10 acres of vegetation south of Interstate 80. This is an increase of the 50 goats ComEd had last year. Over the next three to four weeks, these goats will help ensure the reliable distribution of power along our transmission rights-of-way.
Since 2019, ComEd has annually hired a herd of goats, provided by Goats on the Go, to graze on land in transmission rights-of-way to clear vegetation around power lines and equipment in an environmentally friendly way. In a matter of weeks, goats can cover lots of ground, avoiding the use of landscaping equipment – causing less soil disturbance. Goats also replace herbicides. This year, they helped avoid the use of an estimated 40 gallons of herbicide. On average, goats can eat 10-20 percent of their body weight in fresh vegetation daily.
“Rights-of-way in these remote areas sometimes consist of steep ravines that can pose a challenge and safety risk for our vegetation management crews,” said Tom Ringhofer, Manager of Transmission Vegetation Management for ComEd. “Bringing in nature’s clean-up crew has helped us reduce the cost and time it takes to clear vegetation by more than half, sustainably maintaining power infrastructure while keeping our crews safe.” ComEd transmission and lines in remote areas of northern Illinois span over 5,400 miles and are crucial to powering the lives of more than 9 million people every day.
ComEd is grateful to our hooved friends for their invaluable service in helping ensure reliable power for our customers. Check out the goats in action with the clip below:
