Squirrel behind power outage?

TORONTO, ONTARIO - A squirrel that crawled into a hydro substation in the downtown core may have caused a power outage at about 11 a.m. September 19.

Toronto Hydro doesn't know if it was the squirrel or a piece of defective equipment that caused a short in the system.

A dead squirrel, apparently electrocuted, was found in the substation at Wellington and John Sts. this morning.

The area west of Yonge St. to Spadina Ave. and from Queen St. south to the lake was affected.

Some businesses and residents lost power and some traffic problems were reported. The power was disrupted for just under two hours.

"Aside from storms, animal contacts do cause a lot of outages," Toronto Hydro spokesperson Tanya Bruckmueller said. "Less in the downtown area," she added. "It's more common on overhead lines in the suburban areas."

Related News

muskrat falls

Planning for our electricity future should be led by an independent body

ST. JOHNS - Maintaining a viable electricity network requires good long-term planning. The existing stock of generating assets can become obsolete through aging, changes in fuel prices or environmental considerations. Future changes in demand must be anticipated.

Periodically, an integrated resource plan is created to predict how all this will add up during the ensuing 25 years. That process is currently underway and is led by Nova Scotia Power Inc. (NSPI) and will be submitted for approval to the Utilities and Review Board (UARB).

Coal-fired plants are still the largest single source of electricity in Nova Scotia. They need to be replaced…

READ MORE
denmark wind power

Wind Denmark - summer's autumn weather provides extraordinarily low electricity prices

READ MORE

National Energy Board hears oral traditional evidence over Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line

READ MORE

canada solar future

'That can keep you up at night': Lessons for Canada from Europe's power crisis

READ MORE

central asian power shortage

Why Is Central Asia Suffering From Severe Electricity Shortages?

READ MORE