November 26, 2006

OUTAGE REPORT

On November 26 at 3:16 p.m., Florida Keys Electric Cooperative experienced a "phase-to-phase fault" on the main transmission system somewhere on Lower Matecumbe. In response to the fault, the transmission system relayed out and then immediately back in.

FKEC's distribution load shedding program dropped Marathon off line when the fault occurred. Keys Energy Services' under-voltage relay then shut the main transmission line down to their system in the Lower Keys and Key West. Transmission to KES was restored 130 seconds after the fault occurred. FKEC's transmission system was immediately re-energized.

Marathon's local distribution system was off-line from 3:16 p.m. until 3:24 p.m.

FKEC officials do not have access to KES' system operations so it is unknown how long it took KES to re-energize their local distribution system after the transmission fault.

FKEC crews thoroughly inspected the main transmission system on Sunday and Monday, but did not find any indications of the cause of the fault. There are no visible burn or scorch marks on the transmission conductors or insulators.

FKEC officials speculate that it is possible a bird may have dropped a vine across two phases.

"If it was a rope, we should have found it on the ground," said FKEC CEO Scott Newberry. "We have had ospreys drape pieces of trap rope across the lines before, but this time we didn't find anything."