CPS Energy Reminds Kite Flyers to Play It Safe

Last year thousands lost power because foreign objects got tangled in power lines

With spring upon us, people are getting outdoors. Make sure your fun in the sun stays clear of power lines.

Always fly your kite in a big, open field away from power lines, trees and the street.
Fly your kite in dry weather, never in the rain or when it’s lightning.
If your kite gets too close or tangled in power lines, let it go!
Never try to remove a kite that has become tangled with any wires or trees near power lines. Instead, call CPS Energy at (210) 353-HELP (353-4357).

Objects in power lines cause others to lose power

Last year, CPS Energy reported 114 outages caused by kites, balloons, tennis shoes, plastic tarps, etc. getting tangled in power lines.
Theses outages affected an average of 160 customers, for a total of 18,229 customers. The average outage lasted 1.2 hours for a total of 137 hours without electric power.
These preventable outages are inconvenient to customers, and call for expensive repairs.
For more information on kite safety and other natural gas and electric safety topics, call 353-2970 or go to cpsenergy.com.