Have you ever noticed your lights quickly blink on and off, even on a bright, sunny day? Or, you wake up to find all of your clocks blinking 12:00? While these power blinks might cause you to worry that there is an issue with your electricity, the opposite is actually true.

Why does the power blink?

Blinks are created when a breaker, or switch, opensalong any portion of the system. The breaker usually opens because of a large, quick rise of electric current.A relay senses the fault and tells

the breaker to open,preventing the flow of power to the problem site. After opening, the breaker quickly closes. The brief delay allows the fault to clear and usually lasts less than five seconds.

If the fault clears, every cooperative member that receives electricity from that power line has just experienced a blink. This could include thousands of members if the breaker protects a transmission line or a substation.

These interruptions are sometimes caused by wires slapping together during a storm, a vehicle hitting a power pole, a tree branch hitting a powerline, a bird or animal touching a ground and energized line at the sametime, lightning, or other similar events.

Increasing reliability

Stopping the flow of electricity at the site of the issue prevents damage to our system. Not only does this keep our equipment in good working order, it can help prevent damage to your electronics and appliances.

Without breakers, the power would go out and would not be restored until lineworkers arrive to address the issue. The blinks can allow for enough time for the problem to resolve and keep electricity flowing or, if the problem is not resolved,to disconnect power and prevent further damage.

The next time you notice a power blink, think of it as a quick reminder that we are doing our part to better serve you, our members.