Emera Maine installs new transformer in Northern Maine

Aroostook County Transformer Upgrade strengthens grid reliability in northern Maine, boosting electricity supply for 34,000 customers, enabling substation maintenance, and modernizing aging infrastructure without outages, supporting businesses with safer, more resilient power distribution.

Presque Isle, Maine — Emera Maine recently installed a new transformer at the Flo’s Inn Substation in Presque Isle. The transformer is necessary to provide electric system reliability in Northern Maine.

This new piece of equipment is now one of three transformers that provide power to Aroostook County. Having this new transformer online allows for regular maintenance to occur on the other two older transformers, with similar transformer station investments supporting reliability in other regions as well, without disruption of electricity to the region. A transformer is an electrical device that transfers electricity between one or more circuits. In this case, the transformer will serve about 34,000 customers in northern Maine.

“We’re committed to bringing safe, reliable power to our customers,” said Alan Richardson, Emera Maine President and COO. This is one of several needed projects alongside major transmission upgrades that will improve reliability for our northern Maine customers. Some of our infrastructure is aging and we are making investments to ensure reliability while also getting the most of existing infrastructure.

Local business representatives joined Emera Maine in support of the project, noting how new transmission line work benefits reliability for communities, including Theresa Fowler, Executive Director of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce.

“This project is so important to the businesses of this region,” said Fowler. “Keeping our businesses up and running is the key to their success, and utility transformer agreements help reinforce the grid we need to do that.”

The new transformer was successfully installed, tested and, similar to large summer reliability installations completed by other utilities, placed in service over the summer months.

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