Bangor Hydro Electric Company and Maine Public Service Company are Gearing Up for Storms

Saturday, October 27, 2012

(Bangor, ME)--Bangor Hydro Electric Company and Maine Public Service Company are keeping a close eye on two storms that are heading north. Meteorologists are calling it an unlikely scenario, with Hurricane Sandy and a Nor'easter combining and threatening to strike the East Coast sometime Monday or Tuesday next week. Staff members from both companies are preparing for potential outages.

Bangor Hydro and Maine Public will work together to cover both service territories and deploy crews to support each other as needed.

"If the storm materializes in full force, we will be very busy in the customer service center," said Janet Scully, Manager of Customer Service. "Customers can report outages and get the latest outage information at bangorhydro.com and on their mobile phone at bhe.com/m for the fastest service."

Depending on the severity of the storm, damage to the system could be extensive in some areas, especially coastal regions, and customers are encouraged to prepare for that possibility by locating flashlights with working batteries, keeping a battery-operated radio available with fresh batteries, making sure you have a supply of fresh water, keeping some non-perishable food on hand. Customers using generators are encouraged to follow the manufacturer's directions.

Customers are reminded that it is never safe to try to move fallen power lines and trees touching them.

Customers can report outages and get the latest outage information at bangorhydro.com or mainepublicservice.com or by calling Bangor Hydro's customer service center at 207-947-2414 or 800-499-6600 or Maine Public Service's customer service center at 207-760-2300 or 877-655-4448.

Bangor Hydro Electric Company and Maine Public Service are regulated electricity transmission and distribution utilities wholly-owned by Emera Inc. Halifax, NS (EMA-TSX. Bangor Hydro serves 117,000 customers in an area encompassing 5,275 square miles in eastern and east coastal Maine, and 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. Maine Public Service serves approximately 36,000 electricity customer accounts in Northern Maine. To learn more visit our websites at www.bangorhydro.com and www.mainepublicservice.com.

Emera Inc. is an energy and services company with $7.4 billion in assets and 2011 revenues of $2.1 billion. The company invests in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as well as gas transmission and utility energy services. Emera's strategy is focused on the transformation of the electricity industry to cleaner generation and the delivery of that clean energy to market. Emera has interests throughout northeastern North America, in three Caribbean countries. More than 80% of the company's earnings come from regulated investments. Emera common and preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade respectively under the symbol EMA, EMA.PR.A, and EMA.PR.C. Additional information can be accessed at www.emera.com, www.sedar.com, or on www.sec.gov.