Is PSE&G The Most Parrot-Friendly Utility Company in the U.S.A.?

Like other utility companies serving customers in regions of the U.S.A. where wild parrots now fly free, New Jersey's Public Service Electric & Gas must occasionally remove nests built by the parrots on electrical infrastructure. But PSE&G has demonstrated extraordinary sensitivity towards both the parrots and the folks who like them, as was demonstrated in a recent e-mail exchange between Alison Evans-Fragale, of EdgewaterParrots.com, and representatives in its Overhead Construction Palisades Division.

This exchange concerned the fact that the nest teardowns scheduled to occur in March and early April (an ideal time when it is both warm enough for de-nested parrots to survive but before their annual breeding cycle begins) could not be performed. Instead of simply doing the nest teardowns later in the Spring (when there would be major damage to eggs in such nests), PSE&G agreed to wait until some time after the babies have fledged (which usually occurs by late summer).

If you're a regular reader of this site, you know that I have written some harsh words about other utility companies whose wild parrot control policies have been heavy-handed and harsh. But PS&G has proven it has a heart by listening to the wildlife community, moving toward best practices, and forging a path that I am confident will lead to a situation of improved coexistence between parrot and man. In a world where money too often wins out over kindness, PSE&G deserves praise by all who value our free-range urban parrots.