The Tennessee Valley Authority has to consider a lot of factors during regular operations—and that’s especially true at the former Paradise Fossil Plant in Drakesboro, where they’ve had to take nature itself into consideration.
Since 2023, a pair of peregrine falcons have chosen to nest and raise their young in the former plant, near the newer Paradise Combined Cycle Plant, and as a protected species, that means the TVA had to get creative in finding ways to continue their operations while making room for this amazing species of falcon.
The TVA demolition crews coordinated with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, according to an article by TVA staff writer Susan Ehrenclou, to do their best to accommodate their wild, avian companions. Peregrine falcons are small but powerful hunters—while diving, they can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour, making them one of the fastest animals on the planet.
Peregrine falcons have come a long way since they faced extinction in the 1970’s, but they remain a protected species, to not fall close to that fate again. To help keep the falcons at Paradise safe from demolition and other worksite dangers, teams began the process of carefully moving them to a new, wooden nesting box that was erected high in the sky overlooking the Green River.
Unfortunately for the TVA, when the birds returned in the spring 2024, they ignored their new box and chose an exposed ledge.
Senior Project Manager Steve West says, “It was only 50 feet off the ground.” Peregrine falcons aren’t known to roost any lower than 100 feet. “So that’s another thing we’ve learned about peregrine falcons—that nobody told them how they were supposed to act.
That second year of nest delayed the demolition of that stack, but when the falcons returned in 2025, they laid their eggs out of sight in protect ductwork. West says, “We’re not going to do any more demolition till 2027. And if the falcons come back, we’ll just have to wait till they move. We’ve got to take care of all that’s out there.”
In 2024, the crew at Paradise was presented with the Peregrine Falcon Cooperator of the Year Award—recognized for their exceptional support, and care, for these wild creatures making their homes where they can.