We know power blinks can be frustrating. Even a brief interruption can mean resetting clocks, timers, and other electronics. But that quick blink often means protective equipment on our system is doing exactly what it’s designed to do.
When something temporarily contacts a power line, such as a tree branch, animal, or lightning, devices called reclosers briefly interrupt the flow of electricity. If the problem clears, power is automatically restored within seconds, often preventing a longer outage that could affect many members.
Most reclosers will attempt this process up to three times within seconds. If the problem persists, the recloser locks out, causing an outage until crews can locate and fix the issue.
This is why some members experience one, two, or even three brief power blinks before a sustained outage occurs.
Without reclosers, many temporary faults could result in outages, sending crews to locate the problem and manually restore service.
So while resetting the clock may be inconvenient, that brief blink may have saved you from resetting much more time.
