August 29, 2008

Copper Wire Thefts Prompt Safety Concerns at Bangor Hydro

Bangor, ME-- Bangor Hydro Electric Company has discovered several copper wire thefts at sub-stations in recent weeks, putting the thieves, Company employees, and members of the public at risk. The thefts occurred at substations in the northern parts of the Company's service territory.

Copper wire theft has been a growing problem over the past few years due to its increased scrap value. The financial impact of these recent thefts, including equipment and labor, is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. These costs could eventually be recovered through customer rates.

To address the rise in copper theft, Bangor Hydro has increased surveillance and patrol inspections of its substations and has installed motion detector and surveillance equipment at select locations.

"Not only is it illegal to steal this copper wire, but the thieves could face injury or even death," said John Greaves, Safety Officer. "In addition, our employees could face injury from damaged equipment that they don't know has been compromised."

Copper grounding wires attached to homes have also been the target of thieves and vandals, and the public is urged to report any suspicious activity to local authorities.

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.