General

‘Nuisance shocks’ are common near high-voltage lines, but harmless

Did you know your car can give you a small electrical jolt when parked under large power lines?

Have you ever ridden a bike under power lines and felt a tingle when braking? And if you’ve ever watched a kids’ football or soccer game under power lines, maybe you felt a little shock when you touched the bleachers.

It may startle and even annoy you, but such “nuisance shocks” are harmless and, unfortunately, pretty common. Outdoors, you’re most likely to encounter them on humid days near high-voltage power lines, particularly the extra high voltage lines that are a part of OPPD’s transmission system.

“This is something that we see all over our service territory,” said Shane Hanson, OPPD’s director of Energy Deliver Engineering. “It’s a nuisance, but not a health risk.”

Nuisance shocks are a fact of life in OPPD’s service territory and nationwide. Here are some things to know:

What are nuisance shocks?

Everything that carries or uses electricity – power lines, computers, even human beings – generates an electrical field. An electrical field is an invisible force created by charged atomic particles interacting with one another.

Electrical fields can cause a charge to build in objects that conduct electricity, particularly metal. In a car with insulated rubber tires, the charge won’t easily dissipate until you touch it and provide the electricity with a direct path to the ground.

When that happens, the jolt you feel is no different than a static shock caused by rubbing your feet on a carpet and then touching a doorknob.

A byproduct of development

OPPD has more than 1,350 miles of transmission lines throughout its service territory. Of those, approximately 450 miles are extra high voltage lines. As cities grow, new homes, schools and businesses have sprouted up around transmission lines that were initially placed in rural areas. Walking and biking trails, parking lots and streets have been added as well.

“The world has developed around these transmission lines,” Hanson said. “It’s an inconvenient side effect of having power in our lives.”

Am I safe?

Hanson said OPPD works carefully to create and maintain easements that ensure a safe distance from power lines in compliance with the National Electric Safety Code, which protects both utility workers and the public.

“As Omaha continues to grow and expand, we want it to happen safely,” he said. “We always work with developers and engineers that want to build around here to make sure they’re following those standards.”

Hanson said nuisance shocks tend to happen on muggy days, when moisture hangs thick in the air.

While nuisance shocks aren’t easily avoided, Hanson said people can always contact OPPD if they have questions or concerns about power lines near them.

“As always, safety is our number one priority,” he said.