A few wild animals will avoid electrocution and some power outages will be avoided as a result of new equipment being installed by the Central Illinois Public Service Co., CIPS officials said.

CIPS is installing Guthrie Guards on several distribution transformers to prevent animals such as raccoons, birds, and snakes from coming in contact with energized parts of the transformers, George Sheppard, a public affairs representative for CIPS, said.

Sheppard said this contact blows fuses and causes power outages while electrocuting animals at the same time.

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The Guthrie Guard is named after its inventor, James Guthrie.

The stainless steel and plastic guards work much like an electric fence, Sheppard said. When the animals get close to an energized area, they receive a harmless static shock from the guards that turns them away from the dangerous area.

He said the device is attached to the top of a transformer and builds up a static charge from an electric field generated by the transformer.

Sheppard said about four percent of all power outages occur because animals blow fuses on transformers.

He said the guards will save CIPS money, since there will be fewer power outages.

When the power’s out, we’re not making money, he said.

Sandy Green of the CIPS office in Carbondale said several of the guards are already in place in the Carbondale area.

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Sheppard said the devices have been found to be durable and effective, and that CIPS plans to install more.