Fredericton –
The skies can be clear and the winds light when suddenly the power goes out in New Brunswick homes and businesses.
At a rate-increase hearing last month, a utility official pointed a finger at unexpected culprits for these “blue sky” outages: soaring raptors and bushy-tailed squirrels.
Phil Landry, executive director of the project management office and engineering for NB Power, said wildlife is to blame for some blackouts, 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.
“Osprey, squirrels get into our systems,” Landry told the committee on July 19 when questioned about it. “And we do have what we would call deterrents that we use in those areas that are problematic …. We’re doing a lot about it. Osprey this year have been plentiful. More than we’ve seen in the past. So that’s one thing.”
Yamille del Valle, a scientist with the Electric Power Research Institute…