RIVERBEND – Ameren Illinois has introduced a new program to recycle power poles. In 2022, Ameren Illinois partnered with Blackwood Solutions. This company picks up broken or decommissioned poles and recycles the wooden poles by giving them to farmers for fence posts, turning them into parking blocks, or shredding them into woodchips. Brian Bretsch, a spokesperson for Ameren Illinois, explained that this has been a great way to improve Ameren’s environmental footprint. “We’re just doing what we can to be good environmental stewards by diverting as much wood waste as possible,” Bretsch said. “With this partnership, since 2022, we’re diverting literally tons of wood waste every year.” Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri replace an average of 24,000 poles in both states every year. Poles must be replaced if they’re involved in an accident and cannot be repaired. Poles are also often damaged in storms, or a pole might simply reach “the end of its useful life for us,” Bretsch explained. He added that trees take 40 years to mature. Southern pines are the best type of trees for power poles, and these trees are often grown in Alabama. Bretsch said “there will always be a need” for wooden power poles, though composite fiberglass poles are rising in popularity because they are much stronger than wooden poles. However, they are also more expensive, so Ameren places these poles “strategically” in their coverage area, Bretsch explained. “In fact, if you drive along the River Road, you might see a few of them,” he said. “But we have more than 50,000 miles of power lines that crisscross our Ameren service territory, so the short answer is, yes, we’re always going to have a need for wooden power poles.” The partnership with Blackwood Solutions has allowed Ameren to recycle these poles when needed and create a better impact for the environment. Bretsch credited Blackwood Solutions for their work, and he noted that you can learn more about Ameren Illinois’s environmental programs at their official website at AmerenIllinois.com.
