Reducing Wildlife-Related Outages with a Northeast Utility | Hubbell & Irby

02.23.2026
Electric Case Study

Challenge


A northeastern investor-owned utility entered 2025 with an important goal: increase system reliability and reduce wildlife-related outages across its distribution network. To succeed, the team would need the right hardening products and a partner capable of swift implementation. 
 

Solution


The utility sought the support of its manufacturer partner, Hubbell, which quickly set to building a plan using its wildlife mitigation solutions.
 

It started with an on-site visit with the IOU’s team. Hubbell identified Reliaguard products as a strong fit for the utility’s distribution system. To get the project off the ground, Hubbell immediately shipped five samples of each recommended product to the utility team, and all arrived within two days. 
 

Field Review


The following week, Hubbell's experts met with the IOU to walk through each solution in detail, assess fit, and discuss deployment scenarios. The teams scoped a purchase of 1,000+ units across multiple SKUs.
 

Logistics and Fulfillment with Irby


With the products identified, the focus shifted to execution. Hubbell partnered with Irby, the distributor that manages the broader relationship with the IOU. Irby worked with both teams to establish a consistent delivery schedule that supports the utility’s reliability objectives. 
 

Result


With Hubbell’s swift collaboration and partnership with Irby, the utility made great strides in its ongoing reliability goals: 

  • $350k+ invested in wildlife mitigation solutions
  • Reliable order cadence supporting system hardening
  • Stronger relationships between all parties (Hubbell, the utility, and Irby)
     
 

 

The Next Stage


Hubbell's rapid response and highly engineered product offering coupled with Irby's best in class fulfillment capabilities and service have laid the groundwork for a strong relationship with this IOU in its grid hardening efforts for years to come.
 

About Hubbell
 

Hubbell proudly supports utilities' commitment to reliability and wildlife outage prevention. By responding quickly, providing expert guidance, and establishing a dependable supply chain process, Hubbell helps create scalable models that protect systems for years to come.