Don't Shoot the Lines!

Choptank Electric Cooperative is made up of 56,000-plus members who all rely on the safety and upkeep of our power grid. Our power lines and utility poles are the foundation of how we all enjoy the comforts, convenience and the power of reliable electricity and quality internet. An increasing, and unfortunate, issue occurring is our power lines being shot by hunters and gun enthusiasts.  

Shooting at transmission facilities — wires, poles and insulators — is dangerous to you, jeopardizes everyone’s power and is a federal crime. A gunshot can make electricity arc to the ground or cause the wire to fall, with a high risk of serious injury or death. Never attempt to shoot through the wires or at anything that may be on the wires or poles. 

With the thousands of miles of recently constructed overhead fiber optic cable on the Eastern Shore, hunters will need to practice extra caution when aiming at flying waterfowl this fall. The glass tubes in the broadband fiber line are fragile and can break if hit by shotgun shot, requiring all 144 individual strands to need special splicing repair.  

When broadband lines are shot, homes along that path lose access to the internet until a repair can be made. Not only are the homes at risk, but several local 911 services lease our fiber for emergency communications. And, by law, the cost of the repair is borne by the landowner or the hunter who damaged the line. The average repair runs $15,000 to $20,000. 

Please respect yourself, your fellow members and our power infrastructure. For more helpful safety tips, visit: www.choptankelectric.coop/dstl