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Differing explanations for what caused the overnight light show near the waterfront in Lackawanna

Posted at 5:29 AM, Nov 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-02 14:02:40-04

You may be wondering what was behind the flashes in the night sky near the lakefront in Lackawanna early Friday.

Lackawanna Police and Lackawanna Fire responded to the area of the Bethlehem Steel site, but turned things over to National Grid. 

According to National Grid, sparking wind turbine equipment belonging to the Steel Winds energy project caused the light show.

National Grid said it did not receive any requests to de-energize the 13,800-watt equipment. It said anything sparking has been fixed, and any hazards to the public alleviated.

But a senior manager at Steel Winds says National Grid's explanation is not accurate.

Mike Andrzejczak messaged 7 Eyewitness News on Facebook, identifying himself as the person who shut the breaker of to the sparking equipment.

He said electric arc happened on a 480-volt line that went to the rail car dumping station, which he described as an old substation from the days when Bethlehem Steel was up and running.

While he said he is unsure of who owns and operates that substation today, he knows the Steel Winds substation feeds that substation. Andrzejczak said it was necessary for Steel Winds to drop power to the rail car substation in order to stop the arc.

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