Northern Powergrid plays an active role in social, environmental and safety initiatives with communities across Yorkshire and the Northeast. Here you can read about a few examples.

Securing a brighter future for endangered birds

Northern Powergrid helped develop a flagship project in Upper Teesdale to protect the endangered black grouse. To address the potential hazards posed to the grouse by overhead power lines, bright orange bird diverters have been fitted to cables. However, as the diverters were secured using a metal tie, it was necessary to interrupt the electricity supply to local customers.

Manufacturers were challenged to design a clamp that could replace the metal tie and enable diverters to be fitted from the ground without the electricity being turned off. Northern Powergrid engineers have subsequently fitted approximately 300 of the new diverters to 3.6km of overhead power lines, helping to mitigate the potential risk to the black grouse.

Kids dial into safety

In conjunction with safety partnership Crucial Crew, Northern Powergrid has launched a ‘life saving’ mobile phone game to reduce the number of children killed or injured on the electricity network. The game aimed at children aged eight to 11, follows the story of a young boy who, in the search for his brother, encounters hazardous situations such as friends fishing near power lines. Players decide what action to take, with wrong decisions resulting in a premature death for the young hero. Download the game here free of charge.