Taipower steps up measures to reduce wildlife-caused outages

台電擴大防護措施以減少野生動物造成的停電事故

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Power Co. launched a new initiative Thursday to reduce power outages caused by external factors, mobilizing more than 4,000 personnel.

About half of all power outages in Taiwan are attributed to external factors, the company said. Birds and other animals alone account for roughly 40% of these outages, as nests or perching on power lines can trigger electrical faults, according to CNA.

The initiative targets multiple causes of wildlife-related outages. Measures include removing nests and installing snake- and rodent-proof nets.

If eggs or chicks are found, they will be relocated to animal welfare organizations, zoos, or willing households. Taipower’s wildlife prevention measures have reduced related power incidents from 2,838 in 2012 to 1,011 last year, a decline of more than 60%.

Besides wildlife prevention, the initiative also addresses unprotected openings in electrical equipment and involves inspecting and updating infrastructure. It spans Taipower’s generation, transmission, and distribution systems nationwide, as well as hydroelectric and thermal plants.