SPRING BRINGS ANIMAL-RELATED POWER OUTAGES

  

This spring has brought beautiful bluebonnets and other wildflowers across the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area.  Unfortunately, it has also brought a seasonal problem for power providers: animal-related power outages.

Squirrels, birds and other animals wander from their nests, and snakes slither out of their dens after months of inactivity. Inevitably, some of them cross paths with electric substations and power lines.

“It’s always a challenge when the days are warm and animals are on the move, but the nights and mornings are still cold enough that animals seek warmth, particularly near transformers and other equipment in our substations,” said Eric Kocian, Bluebonnet’s chief engineer and systems operations officer. “We design our substations and power lines with measures to deter animals from coming into contact with energized equipment, but some animals manage to get past our best defenses and cause outages.”

During the first three weeks in March, birds caused three large power outages for Bluebonnet, affecting 3,860 members.  Dozens of other smaller power outages during March were caused by animals, too.

Bluebonnet’s defenses to minimize outages include snake fences, which help keep snakes and other crawling animals away from equipment in electric substations, and pronged devices and insulated covers on energized lines near transformers in substations and power poles – which are particularly popular spots for birds and squirrels.

Regardless of the cause of the outages – birds, snakes, squirrels, storms, vehicle accidents or anything else – Bluebonnet officials say their crews will respond day and night to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.