Versant Power building new substation in coastal Maine
Versant Power, which serves northern and eastern Maine, is building a new substation to serve customers in Machias and Whitneyville.
The substation is being built on Route 1 near October Lane, where crews are preparing the grounds and installing equipment for the new substation. It is expected to be up and running in early fall.
The new substation will replace the former Bad Little Falls substation. It is located out of the public eye and no longer along the Machias River. It will feature all-new modernized equipment including a new transformer, control house, and improved communications technology.
“The new technology at the Machias substation will make service more reliable for area customers,” Kevin Worster, power system technical supervisor at Versant, said. “It will allow for quicker identification and communication of outages, which means shorter outages and more precise data for customers.”
The substation’s new transformer, breakers and other necessary equipment will be installed this summer. Sargent Electric, Hanscom and CCB are assisting Versant Power with the construction. Once construction and installation are complete, all equipment will be tested and commissioned.
The previous Bad Little Falls substation location was decommissioned over the past few years after reaching the end of its useful life. It had been in operation for more than 65 years. After substation infrastructure was safely removed, Versant crews and contractors turned the former site into a parking area.
