Balloons capture the imagination with their aspirational upward drift. But their lighter than air quality can get out of hand, literally, and have unintended consequences for the power grid.

“Balloons may seem like small things,” said Steve Harkin, Pacific Power’s director of safety and training. “But when escaped balloons touch power lines or substations, even the smallest amount of metal content material can conduct electricity.  This can interfere with lines, causing power fluctuations and outages.”