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Emera Maine Sends Workers To Florida For Hurricane Irma Restoration Effort

Line and workers from Maine are en route to Florida, where millions were without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma’s devastating visit to the region Sunday.

At Emera Maine, spokeswoman Judy Long said the company has sent a team to assist Tampa Electric, a fellow Emera Inc. affiliate, with power restoration efforts.

“On Sunday morning, Emera Maine sent a team to assist Tampa Electric, which is another Emera affiliate, with their storm restoration efforts,” she said. “Twelve lineworkers, a mechanic and a line supervisor departed Hampden with eight trucks on Sunday morning. Another line supervisor is already in Florida to help with the Hurricane Irma restoration effort.”

Long said that’s consistent with the firm’s mutual assistance policies.

“With this particular situation, our affiliate reached out to us and asked for some help, and we’re among a number of utilities that have stepped up to help, and there’s a larger coordination effort going on down in Florida organizing all of the different utility workers who are coming in to help,” she said.

Officials at Central Maine Power Co. said that while they were not sending employees to Florida at this time, they have relieved some subcontracted workers from their obligations to help out with power restoration efforts.

At the Maine Emergency Management Agency, a spokeswoman said state officials were still weighing how they will respond to requests for assistance from states hit hard by Irma.