Utility Providers

The local REA or utility provider plays a pivotal role in identifying and correcting stray voltage on farms. Here are very important things they need to know. These truths may run contrary to what is learned in utility training courses. This website was developed to help everyone better understand stray voltage and how to eliminate this problem on farms. 

1. Stray Voltage is real 

2. Stray Voltage is deadly to animals 

3. There is NO ACCEPTABLE level of stray voltage - the cows will always tell the truth 

4. Stray Voltage must be eliminated to provide a safe source of electricity to farm customers   

A farmer who believes stray voltage might be affecting their cows will usually call his/her utility. The utility will send someone to test the farm for stray voltage. If stray voltage is found, they will try to fix it. The most important thing to do is to identify the source of the stray voltage. To be certain the problem is solved, an independent stray voltage expert should be contacted.  Independent Stray Voltage Consultant, Larry Neubauer, of Concept Electric, has helped hundreds of farms throughout the US. His work has shown that approximately half of all stray voltage cases he encounters are from on-farm sources. These sources, once identified by an expert consultant, can be corrected by the farm's electrician.    

The other source of stray voltage is from the primary/utility side of the electrical system. This source of stray voltage is the responsibility of the utility company providing the power. Sometimes this can also be an easy fix with a check of the lines and grounds running to the farm. Other times, the correction will take more resources. Regardless of the cause on the primary side, a customer must be provided with a safe, clean source of electricity.    

Early intervention is critical. Because utilities use outmoded equipment with high resistance, they often miss detecting stray voltage. As a result, the utilities often incorrectly tell farmers they don’t have a problem or its not at a level of concern. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE. The longer animals are subjected to even minute amounts of current, the more likely they are to never recover from the damage done. Cows that are affected by stray voltage are not profitable. The longer the farm and its animals are subjected to stray voltage the more they are affected financially. Farmers DO NOT want to litigate, but when it comes to losing their livelihood, they are much more likely to seek a way to save their farm and obtain compensation for past damages. Therefore, rapid response to a farm who has stray voltage is not only important to the health of the animals and success of a farm, but it also will do much to prevent the power supplier from the headaches and costs of litigation. 

For decades, utility companies have been married to using 500 ohms in their testing protocols. In addition to the incorrect use of 500 ohms as the cow’s resistance, there have been studies which have misled the power industry into believing stray voltage at low levels is not a problem to cows or their farms. This is mainly due to the Wisconsin Protocols which is based on some statistically invalid research. In research done by Gorewit and Aneshansley at Cornell University where they measured milk production, water intake, reproduction and somatic cell count (udder health), they concluded there were no statistically significant difference in those areas between the control cows and the cows subjected to various levels of current. HOWEVER, the wrong statistical analysis was used for the type of data that was collected. When the correct type of analysis was performed on the data, it showed statistically significant decrease in milk production, water intake and udder health in the cows subjected to the stray voltage.  

A similar approach to data analysis was done at the University of WI, Madison by Reinemann and Sheffield. In one study, data was omitted in the analysis that showed cows displaying a physical reaction to stray current at levels as low as 0.25mAmp using a 500ohm resistor. (He did not study any current levels lower than 0.25mAmps).  The published data claimed the cows did not react until reaching the 2.0mAmp level of current. That is 8 X higher than the actual collected barn data shows. Another study done by Reinemann and Sheffield was to determine what effect stray voltage has on the immune system as measured by various markers in the blood. The first study was published saying that although there was statistical significance effect on staph infection, they concluded there was no negative effect on the cow’s immune system. The data of this study has been analyzed by other statisticians who have concluded that once again, the incorrect statistical analysis was done. When the correct analysis was performed, the study showed a significant negative change in staph aureus, IL1 and IL2. Meaning the stray voltage DID negatively affect the immune system. (See the “Resistance” page for the full re-analysis of these studies as done by Martin. And the depositions under oath of Aneshansley and Sheffield where they acknowledge the mistakes in analysis).  

Since there was the one anomaly acknowledged in the improperly analyzed UW research, further research was conducted.  The follow-up study was done to look at a much larger number of blood markers which indicate immune and proper body function. This study was never published, and the authors claimed the results were not worthy of publishing. When the results of this study were reviewed by Dr. Chris Chase, dairy immunologist at SDSU, it was clear that not only were there several important immune function markers that were statistically significantly altered on the cows subjected to low levels of stray voltage, but many of these markers were off-the-charts statistically significant. See the Immune Function page for an in-depth review of this study and the negative impact 1mA of current will have on a cow’s immune system.

The Bottom Line 

Wisconsin PSCW Dockets 106 and 115 endorse the use of 500 ohms in utility testing. These documents, as well as all the many others who have used them as a basis for their state’s testing procedures, has the appearance of being a controlling government/regulatory document, but they are not. In fact, in the case of Hoffman v. Wisconsin Electric Power Co., 262 Wis.2d 264, 664 N.W.2d 55 (2003), the Wisconsin Supreme Court made two very important points (1) those protocols (106 & 115) DO NOT apply to earth current emanating from the utility and (2) they constitute only the minimum service guidelines for testing and correction.  

Those PSCW guidelines do not give utilities protection from service failures concerning stray voltage by proof of compliance. Unfortunately, many local utility companies are largely unaware of the liability that lies in using those useless testing protocols. Being that they use the incorrect resistance level and only talk about minimal testing procedures, it is up to the power company to do additional testing to ensure providing a safe electrical service to their customers. 

It is important that the local power companies see the facts and insist on change in their industry. Hopefully, this website will be a great source for you as you move forward as a partner to the farmer.