[First Amendment]

I admit I know zero about electricity, unlike many on FR who are experts about all kinds of things. And many on FR completely pooh-pooh any sepculations about these blackouts being caused by anything other than pure accident.

But what I'm wondering is how electricity to a whole country can be brought down by one tree? Aren't huge electric lines usually on tall pylons, a lot higher than a regular tree?? Somehow that doesn't make sense to me. I see huge electric lines and they are very tall, I see trees and they are not so tall. And supposedly the US blackout was also due to a couple of trees.

[_Jim]

But what I'm wondering is how electricity to a whole country can be brought down by one tree?

One 'relay' brought down the entire Northeastern grid iin 1965 ...

[_Jim]

Aren't huge electric lines usually on tall pylons, a lot higher than a regular tree??

Even though the story states: " a fallen tree in Switzerland had brought down a 380,000-volt transmission line" I take it that the authors of this story used literary license and are loosely using the term "brought down" the line.

Indeed, these are those LARGE towers carrying sets of three or six lines each (plus an overhead ground wire or two) ...