FRANKLIN, Tenn (WTVF) — While power outages caused by squirrels or birds are not uncommon, Franklin residents are discovering a more unusual culprit behind their recent disruptions: snakes. Middle Tennessee Electric has reported that serpents have been responsible for four power outages in just eight days.
Paul Williams say he has experienced numerous outages due to storms and wildlife, but this recent issue caught him and others off guard.
"It was just kind of surprising," Williams said. "You read it and it says snakes. And how does a snake cause the transformer to go down?"
The frequency of these incidents has been particularly shocking.
"The power was on very briefly, came back on really quickly, but you know, it's just when you think about snakes causing a power outage. It just doesn't resonate," Williams added.
Middle Tennessee Electric has confirmed that these outages at the Henpeck Substation are a rare act of nature.
The snakes have come to contact with energized equipment, causing the equipment to short out.
We're told MTE is a modern, high-tech electric utility that has a 99.98% reliability rating.
"I've worked here for 27 years, and we've doubled our number of incidents in a week that were caused at the substation level by a snake," said substation manager Clive Buttrey.
The reasons behind the snakes' behavior remain unclear. Buttrey speculated that cicadas might be attracting them, but he assured that the company is taking all possible measures to mitigate the issue.
Crews have tried wildlife guards and have tried snake repellent on the ground nearby.
"We're actively applying repellent, and we've looked into better guards here. We just got to get it installed."
The next step involves bringing in professionals to remove the snakes.
"I've done some research with TWRA, talked to our pest control folks. It turns out you need a license to remove snakes. So we're seeking out folks who are licensed in that realm to help us because this is the first time we've had to deal with this at this magnitude," Buttrey said.
Middle Tennessee Electric is also planning to install new and improved wildlife guards at the substation to prevent further incidents. These installations will be scheduled during an upcoming planned outage.
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