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Fish blamed for destroying transformer, causing power outage in New Jersey - PIX11 New York News

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Fish blamed for power outage in New Jersey

SAYREVILLE, N.J. (PIX11) – A recent power outage in New Jersey is being blamed on a fish and a bird.

Police said while investigating a power outage in Sayreville, Jersey City Power and Light found a fish on top of a transformer.

Officials believe a bird that was carrying the fish as a meal dropped it, destroying the transformer and causing the outage.

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State of Play

Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.

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