News

9/22/2009

Birds the Cause of Power Interruptions in Brenham Area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Will Holford   512-332-7955 or Barbara Turner   512-332-7975       
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009                                                                    

Birds the Cause of Power Interruptions in Brenham Area
Co-op Works to Find Environmentally Friendly Solutions

(Bastrop) – Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative members in the south and southwest Brenham area endured interruptions to their electric service last week caused by recent flocks of birds landing at the Guy Burks substation and coming into contact with energized equipment. The resulting arc from the energized equipment to ground has caused two outages and several “blinks” on the system.
 
“Providing safe and reliable electricity to our members is Bluebonnet’s core function,” said Matt Bentke, Bluebonnet’s chief operating officer. “We have identified the cause of these interruptions and we are working toward a solution that is environmentally friendly and appropriate given the proximity of homes and businesses to our Guy Burks substation. We regret any inconvenience these outages have caused.”
 
A distribution substation takes electricity from high-voltage transmission lines and steps it down to a lower voltage that is sent along distribution lines providing power to Bluebonnet’s members. Bluebonnet’s Guy Burks substation provides electricity to the area south of U.S. Loop 290, around Highway 36 South, Industrial Boulevard and FM 389. It serves 3,224 residential and commercial meters, including Walmart, Home Depot, Chili’s and the Southwest Industrial Park.
 
One of the short-term solutions Bluebonnet will use to prevent recurring power interruptions at the Guy Burks substation is adding a layer of rubberized, nonconductive material to the energized equipment, which is usually not insulated. The particular substation equipment that is the source of the outage is not usually insulated in order for it to be easily accessible when maintenance is required.
 
A more permanent solution will be to change out certain insulators on equipment within the substation, which will be done during scheduled maintenance later this year. The new insulators will provide more space between the equipment on which the birds are landing and the energized equipment, reducing the possibility of an electric arc going to ground.
 
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves 80,000 meters and owns and maintains 11,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County and from Milam County down to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative go to www.bluebonnetelectric.coop .

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