So, it is squirrel appreciation day. Why should BPU care? Initially, most would say we shouldn’t.
Unfortunately, in 2015, small animals (primarily squirrels) triggered 14 percent of power outages experienced by BPU customers. To ensure the continued delivery of safe and reliable power to our customers, and to do our part in protecting wildlife in the area, BPU has taken measures to keep animals away from electricity and to improve reliability for our customers.
“On an ongoing basis, we analyze data relating to the cause of power outages to our system,” says Josh McCaslin, BPU Chief Engineer. “If we notice a lot of small animal caused outages, we are able to look at the data and determine where the problem exists. We are then able to address the problem by installing equipment, like squirrel guards, to protect our equipment, increase reliability to our customers and protect local wildlife.”
If we look back at 2015, over the course of the year, 8,698 customers experienced interruption of their power due to squirrels/small animals. Some of those interruptions affected substations and/or large numbers of customers at one time. This past year (2019), that number was down to only 4,043 customers who experienced an interruption in their power because of squirrels/small animals.
“We do what we can to protect our local wildlife, as well as increase the reliability of our system, but unfortunately, animals will still find a way to cause outages,” said McCaslin.
Electricity seeks the fastest route to the ground. Utility pole insulators keep power flowing safely, but squirrels can offer high-voltage electricity a way around insulators. If a squirrel doesn’t jump far enough, a powerful electric current – up to 12,500 volts – makes the squirrel a conductor to the ground. More often than not, the squirrel does not survive.
If a squirrel’s body falls to the ground, often times, the power may blink but ultimately stays on. If it falls into equipment, like a transformer, safety measures shut off power. BPU then sends a lineman to remove the animal and restore power.
The squirrel guards installed by BPU work to not only increase system reliability by protecting our equipment, but also protect small animals. When new transformers are installed (or existing transformers are replaced) in our service area, squirrel guards are also installed.
McCaslin explained, “It’s not cost effective to go back and install animal guards on all of BPU’s previously installed equipment. However, when a problem area is identified, we then install squirrel guards to reduce the frequency of the problem.”
Because our commitment to delivering residents of Paris and Henry County with safe and reliable power is unwavering, we will continue to track the cause of power outages and analyze data to determine where problem areas are. As squirrel guards continue to be installed, our customers will continue to see increased reliability due to a decrease in small animal caused outages.