Dive Brief:
- A trail pitting farmers and power producers is underway in Nephi, Utah to settle the question of whether so-called "stray" power from the 1,800-megawatt Intermountain Plant is making cows so sick that it has cost dairy operators $485 million since the 1990s.
- Stray electricity is released into the ground as the power plant converts its output from alternating current to direct current for long-distance transmission to Southern California.
- The plaintiffs allege the cows are vulnerable because they often stand on wet soil on four hooves and complete an electrical circuit that damages their immune systems and discourages them from drinking water.
Dive Insight:
The trial is expected to last a month. The defense lawyer for Intermountain says the dairy industry in Utah has been steadily shrinking for decades because of factors unrelated to electricity.