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The sky was clear and the breeze was gentle, but homes and businesses across New Brunswick were suddenly without power.
At a rate increase hearing last month, a utility official pointed the finger at an unexpected culprit for these “blue sky” blackouts: soaring birds of prey and furry squirrels.
Phil Landry, Executive Director, Project Management Office and Engineering NB Powersaid wildlife was responsible for some power outages, including one on July 12 that left about 26,000 customers in Fredericton and 16,000 in Saint John in the dark for several hours.
“Ospreys, squirrels, they’re going to get into our system,” Landry told the committee when asked about it July 19. “We do have what we call deterrents that we use in problem areas … We’re doing a lot of things. There’s a lot of ospreys this year. More than we’ve seen in the past. So that’s one aspect.”
It’s not uncommon for birds and animals to get into electrical equipment, said Yamily Del Valle, a scientist at the Electric Power Research Institute of California. In February, a raccoon came into contact with a transformer at a transmission station in Toronto, knocking out power to about 7,000 customers in the city’s downtown.
She said a transmission line outage could cause a small area to lose power, but a substation outage could leave an entire neighborhood in the dark. Ospreys and squirrels can cause transmission lines and substations to lose power, Del Valle said.
Squirrels can scurry among equipment and get electrocuted (either on top of a utility pole or inside a transformer), causing a power outage.
Nick Lund, network manager for Audubon Maine, said utility poles are nesting sites for ospreys. The fish-eating birds breed across North America before heading to the southeastern U.S., the Caribbean and Central and South America to spend the winter.
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“The poles look like sturdy trees that could support the weight of a large nest,” Lund said. “Poles are attractive—they’re sturdy, and because most wires have a vegetated buffer around them, they usually provide clear views of the surrounding area.”
He added that the ospreys saw the flat beam on top of the pole and began laying sticks on it to build their nests. The birds build large nests and return year after year. The nests can be three to four meters deep and one to two meters in diameter.
Del Valle said that during nesting, raptors carry “long sticks” that sometimes hit power lines or conductors, causing arcing and leading to power outages.
“They are birds of prey, so flying to the top of tall power facilities provides them with a vantage point where they can perch and look for prey,” she said, adding that the birds, especially the young ones, can also fly into power lines, electrocute them and cause power outages.
Once driven to the brink of extinction by hunting and toxic pesticides, ospreys have made a successful recovery and today numbers hover around 500,000. They are a protected species.
Lund said one of the best solutions to help the birds and keep electricity on is to set up special nesting platforms nearby or leave more natural trees for them to nest.
Del Valle agreed. She said utilities could help ospreys nest by building artificial structures or platforms. She added that a tray could be installed at the base of the nest to catch loose branches.
Del Valle said sometimes osprey droppings can come into contact with two conductors of a power line, causing an arc and outages. Smaller birds’ droppings can also contaminate wires and render the insulation ineffective, causing outages, she said.
NB Power did not make anyone available for an interview. Spokeswoman Dominique Couture said by email that the company tracks animal-caused outages internally, but she did not provide specific data on how often animals cause outages.
A 2020 report by the Electricity Industry Association of Canada attributed 26% of outages to factors unknown or beyond the control of utilities, including animals, balloons, vehicles and fallen trees or vegetation. Nationwide, squirrels were the biggest problem, causing about 75% of animal outages, followed by raccoons and birds, the group said.
Couture said the utility has taken steps over the past five years to protect its network, including installing animal guards on equipment, removing idle osprey nests from transmission structures and pruning active nests to prevent branches from contacting conductors. The utility also has installed platforms away from transmission structures in areas known to be frequented by the birds to encourage raptors to nest there, she added.
Del Valle said there is no “one-size-fits-all solution” to power outages caused by animals.
But she added that “it’s valuable to take the time to analyze the problem,” including how many birds frequent the area, their favorite nesting sites and food sources.
“Animals are very smart, sometimes smarter than people give them credit for, and they’re very adaptable. Their instinct is to survive. They’re very determined. They learn. That’s why it’s so hard to prevent all blackouts,” she said. “Having all this knowledge allows us to find more effective solutions.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 12, 2024.
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