Exhibit 2
Attachment: Effects of Mylar Balloons on Grid Reliability
Over the past five years, AMP has documented 54 call-outs for mylar balloons contacting power lines, each requiring a troubleman or line crew response. Seven of these incidents resulted in power outages. Four incidents were momentary outages (lasting around 5 seconds) that affected large numbers of customers, including:
• August 10, 2020: Over 2,000 customers impacted
• September 26, 2021: Over 2,000 customers impacted
• April 30, 2022: Over 4,500 customers impacted
• June 6, 2025: Over 8,150 customers impacted
Three incidents led to longer-duration outages:
• August 9, 2020: Over 200 customers affected for 1 hour • January 4, 2021: Over 60 customers affected for 0.75 hours • September 26, 2021: Over 180 customers affected for 2 hours
When a mylar balloon contacts power lines, its metallic coating can create a short circuit, causing a surge of electricity. This surge triggers protective devices, such as circuit breakers or fuses (located in substations like Cartwright), to activate and temporarily cut off power to prevent equipment damage. The estimated cost for labor and equipment replacement in these events is at least $25,000.
State law does not outright ban metallic foil balloons but imposes significant restrictions. AB 847, signed in 2022, will phase in a complete ban by 2031, with industry standards for balloon testing to be applied starting January 1, 2027.