The power outage that plunged 54,000 B.C. Hydro customers in the capital region into darkness Thursday afternoon has been traced to an aging piece of equipment that hadn’t been adjusted for cold temperatures and seasonal demands.
“Just after 4:30, we lost power to the Horsey substation,” said Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk. “At first we weren’t sure what had caused the outage, nor were we sure how long it would take to bring our customers back on.”
Most of those affected, spread throughout Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay, had their power back by about 6 p.m.
The equipment behind the outage is at the Horsey substation, located near the Times Colonist building at 2621 Douglas St.
“It’s one of the oldest ‘subs’ in the area, and the piece of equipment is from the ’60s,” Olynyk said.
The equipment is an example of aging infrastructure that is gradually being modernized, he said. It is due to be replaced with a new, automated version within a year.
The problem that led to the outage wouldn’t have happened at other substations, Olynyk said.
