Sunday power outage in Camden attributed to osprey dropping waterlogged sticks
CAMDEN — A little more than a year ago, Camden residents experienced a power outage for several hours, attributed to osprey constructing a nest and dropping sticks that got tangled with electrical wires. It happened again this morning, Aug. 4, when the power suddenly quit during a hard rain.
This time, the widespread outage (including most of Camden, a few streets in Rockport, and 450 customers in Hope, lasted but 90-plus minutes, and by 11:30 a.m., systems were back on track in most residences and businesses.
Apparently, an osprey, “was attempting to construct a new nest on poles near our substation,” said Jonathan Breed, Central Maine Power communications officer.“The outage is the result of sticks dropped by the birds onto the pole and attached electrical equipment.”
The substation is located on Lion’s Lane, in Camden.
Breed added: “The risk of these types of incidents become higher when there’s wet weather. That’s because the sticks and branches become waterlogged, meaning they more easily conduct electricity.”
Osprey nests and tall power poles are frequent combinations that CMP frequently encounter, so much so that CMP has an Osprey FAQ page.
“Many species of wild birds (most notably, osprey) find Central Maine Power’s (CMP) electric structures attractive to perch on and occasionally build their nests on or in,” the page said. “Structures include distribution poles, transmission structures, and substations. Unfortunately, this can sometimes create a risk of fire, electrocution to the bird, and/or a power outage. To minimize these risks, CMP takes a proactive approach to managing birds and their nests.”
