May 2, 20221 min read

The Power of Squirrels

Crazy Fact #8 - Squirrels are behind most power outages in the U.S.

The American Public Power Association (APPA) says that squirrels are one of the most frequent causes of power outages in the U.S. The APPA even developed a data tracker called "The Squirrel Index" that analyzes the patterns and timing of squirrels' impact on electrical power systems. Turns out, the peak times of the year for squirrel attacks are from May to June and October to November.

"Frankly, the number one threat experienced to date by the U.S. electrical grid is squirrels," said John C. Inglis, the former deputy director of the National Security Agency, in 2015.

Typically, the squirrels cause problems by tunneling, chewing through electrical insulation, or becoming a current path between electrical conductors.