Approximately 75% of power outages are temporary problems caused by elements such as lightning, strong winds, or animal or tree limb contact. The fuses on our electric infrastructure help us detect and isolate outages like these. But, there’s even more we can do to make sure a temporary outage doesn’t become a longer one! We’ve recently installed new TripSaver devices at various locations along the power lines that serve homes and businesses. This will lead to fewer temporary outages and even faster restoration times.

 

TripSavers are an electronic and programmable version of a fuse. Not only can they detect surges and isolate them to protect the system – like a breaker in your home’s electric panel – but after initially opening to isolate the surge, a TripSaver will close back up after five seconds to try to re-energize the line. If the temporary problem is fixed, the line will once again safely deliver electricity to the area, and the service interruption will be minimal! If the problem still remains, our crews will be on-scene to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible.

Learn about our other ongoing STAR (Safety Through Asset Reliability) efforts.

 

STAR: Ongoing Efforts