201 Avoiding land that the Hine’s emerald dragonfly occupies helps the utility as well—eliminating the cost of complying with the strict protocols of the Endangered Species Act while simplifying land management. ComEd’s conservation efforts serve as an example of how organizations can use technology to be both profitable and sustainable. Protecting Prairies and Pollinators ComEd’s commitment to preserving habitat dates back to 1994, when the utility began planting prairie wildflowers and grasses, transforming hundreds of acres of land into native habitat. The restored prairie benefits local pollinators and other wildlife, whereas the plants’ longer roots aid in resilience against drought and flood, increasing carbon sequestration and stormwater detention. In 2017, ComEd’s maps, loaded with data on utility assets and dragonfly habitat, supported an effort to relocate some of the company’s electric transmission towers. Guided by maps made with GIS technology, the move was performed carefully during the insects’ dormant season, and heavy cables were prevented from striking the ground where larvae rested. Considering its pioneering conservation practices, ComEd has become a key collaborator with the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, reaching across industries and organizations in North America to turn rights-of-way corridors into pollinator habitat. The working group teamed up with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the threatened monarch butterfly species through a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA). ComEd and more than 30 other organizations have signed the CCAA. Many of these companies share information on habitat areas they maintain to the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Geospatial Database and gain access to GIS tools for assessing sensitive areas. The data rolls into a public dashboard that tallies participants and tracks new pollinator habitat being created. For the monarch butterfly, the key plant is milkweed. ComEd’s program engages community groups that gather seeds, and the company hires contractors to plant them. More than two million milkweed seeds have been planted along rights-of-way corridors to meet ComEd’s pledge to convert Sustainability The presence of milkweed is a necessity to attract monarch butterflies.
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