December 11, 2008

Bangor Hydro Prepares for Overnight Storm

Bangor, ME  Snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected to cause power outages for Bangor Hydro Electric Company customers Thursday night into Friday afternoon. All Bangor Hydro personnel have been placed on stand-by in anticipation of outages, including field crews and the Customer Service Center.

Customers are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of loss of service, especially in northern and inland areas. Those using generators and alternate heat sources should use them in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

"Ice buildup and damage to trees and electrical systems make restoration efforts difficult and dangerous," said Kim Wadleigh, Bangor Hydro's Storm Manager. "We ask our customers to remain safe, stay clear of our trucks and line crews, and leave power line work to the professionals."

Bangor Hydro's goal is to restore power to all customers as quickly as possible. Crews will assess the damage to the system and restore large transmission lines first, followed by substations. Distribution lines are cleared starting closest to the substation and working to the end of each line. By following the flow of power through the system, Bangor Hydro can restore service to the greatest number of customers most efficiently. During this process, we also focus on restoring service to emergency and communications services.

"If you see a downed power line, please do not touch or attempt to move it," stressed Matt Chabe, Bangor Hydro's Communications Specialist. "Please allow our experienced crews to remove all power lines."

Customers should call Bangor Hydro's Service Center to report a power outage, downed line or other power emergency at 1-800-440-1111. Updated outage information is available at www.bhe.com.

Bangor Hydro-Electric Company (BHE) is an electric utility wholly-owned by Emera Inc. BHE serves a population of 192,000 in an area encompassing 5,275 square miles in eastern and east coastal Maine. BHE is a member of the New England Power Pool and is interconnected with other New England utilities to the south and with the New Brunswick Power Corp. to the north. Visit us at www.bhe.com.

Emera Inc. (EMA-TSX) is an energy and services company with $4.0 billion in assets. Electricity is Emera's core business. The company has two wholly-owned regulated electric utility subsidiaries, Nova Scotia Power Inc. and Bangor Hydro-Electric Company, which together serve 590,000 customers. Emera's other investments include a joint venture interest in Bear Swamp, a 600 megawatt pumped storage hydro-electric facility in northern Massachusetts; a 12.9% interest in the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline ; and Emera Energy Services which manages energy assets on behalf of third parties and provides related services. Visit Emera on the web at www.emera.com.