Momentary power interruptions on FortisAlberta’s system
Jan 24, 2020, 21:22 PMWe understand that momentary interruptions can be disruptive, particularly when electronic equipment must be reset or restarted as a result. What is important to note, is that FortisAlberta’s system is designed to operate this way to prevent outages longer in duration.
There are instances when FortisAlberta’s experiences momentary faults on its circuits as a result of lightning, animal contacts, tree branches, faulty equipment, or vehicles hitting poles. Instead of the feeder breaker (circuit breaker) opening permanently and exposing you to an extended outage, our system is designed to try and reclose the breaker a fraction of a second after the initial fault. This allows FortisAlberta to continue delivering power in situations where we are experiencing a momentary fault. If this system was not in place, the momentary outages you experienced during these events would have been permanent outages lasting minutes or longer.
We attempt to minimize the interruptions our customers experience through maintenance and capital programs, such as our ongoing tree trimming program, bird proofing and pole line rebuilds that are intended to ensure safe and reliable operation of the electrical system.
If you experience a power outage, please report it using our online map, mobile app, or call 310-WIRE (9473).
You can also sign up for power outage alerts here.
