Conversion of powerline right-of-ways: biodiversity, resilience, and local value in the face of climate change and wildfires

In response, REN initiated, in 2010, a long-term Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) strategy, that transformed the ROW from passively managed infrastructure protection zones, into actively managed, multifunctional corridors capable of providing social, economic and environmental values, while strengthening the robustness of the electricity system.

This strategy includes the ecological reconversion of vegetation within the ROW, replacing fast-growing exotic and invasive species, with native, slow-growing species compatible with electrical infrastructure, promoting grid resilience, operational efficiency and biodiversity.

Between 2010 and 2025, REN reconverted 4,836 hectares, with the planting of over 1,6 M trees, including 283 hectares reforested in 2025. The programme also relies heavily on collaborative governance, with more than 25,000 landowners engaged over fifteen years, ensuring social legitimacy, operational continuity and shared benefits. One of the most emblematic outcomes of this approach is the restoration of the historic Ermelo Orange, a citrus variety introduced in the thirteenth century and nearly lost due to rural depopulation.

This paper presents the technical, ecological and social foundations of REN’s IVM strategy, discusses lessons learned over the implementation, and highlights the role of ROW management as large-scale ecological infrastructures with the potential to significantly contribute to landscape restoration, wildfire prevention, climate adaptation and the safeguarding of cultural heritage.