N.L. Hydro warns of potential Muskrat Falls-linked power outages Wednesday and Thursday
Testing of Labrador-Island Link could cause equipment trips
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is warning customers that more unscheduled power outages could happen on Wednesday or Thursday as testing of the Labrador-Island Link continues.
The Labrador-Island Link, the energy corridor that will bring Labrador electricity to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and beyond via the Maritime Link, will be tested on both Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to a tweet by Hydro.
The company says the level of testing raises the risk of equipment malfunctions — which have the potential to cause power outages — but any outage likely won't last longer than 30 minutes.
"We'll be monitoring the system closely during testing and will keep customers informed on the status of the system if any issues arise," the statement said.
The statement comes a day after a malfunction with the Maritime Link caused about 57,000 customers to be in the dark across parts of Newfoundland on Monday. Power was restored for most customers within 16 minutes.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is investigating what caused the malfunction. It said the outage was the result of an under-frequency load shedding event — something done when there is an unexpected surge of power to protect the system.