Have you ever looked up at a utility pole and wondered what all that equipment is doing up there? Over the next few months, we’ll share information about the electrical system and the devices working 24/7 to keep your lights on and your power flowing smoothly.

The first piece of equipment is the lightning arrestor. Imagine this: bolts of lightning strike nearby, sending thousands of volts surging through the power lines. The surge damages a transformer and other equipment, leaving your family without power.

This scenario is avoided though because of a device called a lightning arrestor. You will see this equipment on top of our poles as you drive down the road. This device protects the electrical equipment from the damaging effects of lightning by sensing when too much voltage comes through and bleeding the surge off the power lines, sending it to the ground. Lightning arrestors are installed on various equipment such as poles, towers, transformers, circuit breakers and steel structures in substations.

Next time you spot that device on a utility pole, remember it is there to protect, rain or shine.