Augusta utility: early‑morning outage traced to snake in power‑plant switch yard

Tim Johnson, Augusta’s utility director, told the City Council on July 20 that crews traced an early‑morning, citywide electrical outage to a snake that contacted equipment in the switch yard at Power Plant No. 2.

Johnson said the city began receiving outage reports at about 1:42 a.m. on Saturday and that plant staff and distribution crews responded. "At approximately 01:42AM, Saturday, we began receiving numerous calls…about outages throughout the city," Johnson said. He told the council that by about 2:05 a.m. Superintendent Mark Cain and power plant operator Cody Warner were on site and found the tie to the larger grid energized but the plant transformers had opened.

Why the transformers opened mattered for restoring service. According to Johnson, plant staff inspected the switch yard, put on personal protective equipment and helmets, and found that an animal had created a fault. "What they found was…a snake had come into the switch yard and climbed the structure and touched the live circuit," Johnson said. He noted crews closed the two circuits, returned the transformers to service and distribution crews then checked most of the city to confirm lights were back on. "But this time, it was truly a snake," Johnson added.

The utility director contrasted this event with more common causes of outages: wind‑blown branches, squirrels or birds contacting lines. He said production and distribution staff coordinated the repair and restoration at the plant and across the distribution system. Johnson also recognized the employees who responded and then asked the council to join him in congratulating several staff who completed a leadership academy (recognition remarks were ceremonial and not part of the outage investigation).

Council discussion on the matter at the July 20 meeting was limited to Johnson’s presentation. The transcript records the times Johnson gave for the initial reports (about 1:42 a.m.) and for staff arrival (about 2:05 a.m.), and it identifies Superintendent Mark Cain and operator Cody Warner as the staff who inspected the switch yard and closed the circuits.

Utility staff did not provide an estimate of how many customers were affected or of any long‑term equipment damage in the remarks recorded in the meeting. The council did not take any formal action during the meeting on additional inspections, reporting, or ordinance changes related to the outage; Johnson’s update was presented as an informational item.