Why You See Colorful Balls on Power Lines

Origin of Marker Balls
The backstory underlying these colorful markers is as intriguing as their usefulness. An occurrence occurred over 50 years ago, in the early 1970s, which prompted their construction. Winthrop Rockefeller, the then-governor of Arkansas, was on an airplane with Edward Holland, the chief of the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics. As the jet dropped, Rockefeller observed electrical lines in perilous proximity to the aircraft.

Concerned for the safety of both pilots and passengers, Rockefeller pressed Holland to find a way to make power wires more visible to aviators. Holland, in turn, approached engineer Jack Rutledge to take on this job. Rutledge’s clever idea involves creating bright, highly visible marking balls that could be affixed to electrical lines without being easily dispersed by wind.