More of Oncor's Small Changes for a Better Texas
Waste Management
Oncor's Waste Management group recycles and rehabilitates nearly every piece of equipment the company uses. Everything from aerosol cans to transformers to wooden pallets passes through the group's System Operating Services Facility, with crews working to recycle, refurbish or reuse most of the equipment. In 2008, more than 19 million pounds of field materials were recycled.
Ultimately, Oncor believes that effectively managing waste as a company and always treating the environment with respect will benefit the company, its employees and the public.
Take A Load Off, TexasSM
Oncor's Take A Load Off, TexasSM programs help Texans improve the environment and save some money through energy efficiency measures.
Through December 2008, Oncor's Take A Load Off, TexasSM tour attracted close to 40,000 visitors. More than 400 children have learned about energy efficiency through the kids programs. Oncor providers participating in Take A Load Off, TexasSM events have helped an estimated 200 households with free energy efficiency assessments. For more information, visit Oncor's Take A Load Off, TexasSM Web page.
Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Birds nesting in power lines can cause serious reliability problems and disrupt services. In addition to installing wildlife guards on towers to prevent birds from nesting on critical electrical equipment, Oncor partners with Kathy Rogers of the Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to safely remove and relocate the birds. In the past two years of working together, more than 600 eggs and chicks have been safely rescued by Oncor and Rogers.
If Oncor employees find a nest in Oncor equipment, a call to Rogers is made for an on-site rescue. A representative from the rehabilitation center supervises as Oncor workers climb poles and towers to retrieve the eggs and chicks, place them in a special, padded backpack designed by Rogers, climb to the ground and transfer the eggs or chicks to the representative. The eggs or chicks are then moved to Rogers Wildlife in Hutchins to raise and ultimately release into the wild when possible.
Employee Volunteerism
In 2007 alone, Oncor employees contributed more than 7,500 hours helping people in need. Employees weatherized homes, organized school supplies and food drives and contributed time and money to charities like the United Way. In addition to charities that benefit people in need, Oncor employees are members of and volunteers for local business development and cultural organizations.
In 2007, Oncor contributed nearly $1.3 million to community-service, educational, health and human services, arts and cultural and environmental organizations.
Providing Aid to Other Utilities
Oncor is a member of the Mutual Assistance Partner Utilities, a national group of utility companies that work on a mutually beneficial agreement to help fellow utilities in times of need. While Oncor is helping to restore power in other service areas, Oncor will not neglect its own system. Oncor makes sure that its system is supported first, before sending crews to another service area. The safety and reliability of the Oncor system is priority to the company.
After Hurricane Ike ripped through Texas in 2008, causing widespread damage and hundreds of thousands of outages, Oncor first worked day and night to restore power to its service territory. Once service was restored in Oncor's territory, Oncor sent crews to the hard-hit Houston area to help restore power there.