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Central Maine Power Company, 83 Edison Drive, Augusta, ME 04336 (207) 622-NEWS 

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Release: Immediate - An Energy East Company

Osprey activity plagues Midcoast power line

Planned improvements could reduce outage numbers and quicken repair time

AUGUSTA, Maine, October 23, 2007 — Osprey nesting activity caused a power outage affecting an estimated 8,000 homes and businesses in several Midcoast communities early Saturday morning. Central Maine Power Company officials say high winds and heavy rain dislodged a tree branch from an abandoned osprey nest on the shore of Salt Bay in Damariscotta. The branch came into contact with a transmission line, disrupting service to customers in Bremen, Damariscotta, Edgecomb, Jefferson, Newcastle, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, Bristol, South Bristol, and Southport.

“Our crews traced the problem to an osprey nest atop a transmission tower on the southeastern shore of the bay,” says CMP Spokesman John Carroll. “We built a separate nesting platform there this spring, and tried to relocate an earlier nest away from the lines, but the birds had other plans. They returned to our transmission poles and rebuilt.”

Power to the affected customers went down at about 4:15 Saturday morning. CMP crews restored service to about half of them shortly after 5 a.m., and the rest had service back at around 8:30.

“The trouble spot was in a very remote area accessible only by ATV,” said Carroll. “It was windy, dark, and raining when they set out, and they had to climb the pole to clear the line.”

The same towns lost power last weekend when a car struck a utility pole on U.S. Rte. 1 in Nobleboro, but Carroll offered some good news for customers — CMP is nearly ready to begin construction on a series of major power-grid upgrades in the area. Once municipal and environmental agencies give their final approval, the work will begin at substations in Newcastle, Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta Mills, and Edgecomb. The utility also plans to upgrade several transmission lines in the area, improving service to customers in Bremen, Newcastle, Jefferson, and Edgecomb.

“This project will include the installation of a new circuit breaker and control house at our Damariscotta Mills Substation,” he said. “This will cut in half the number of customers affected by events like these, and will shorten the time it takes to find and fix the problem.”
The Boothbay region project is part of $120 million in system upgrades CMP plans to implement in 2007.

About CMP: Central Maine Power, a subsidiary of Energy East Corporation, operates more than 20,000 miles of power lines and other facilities that deliver electricity to 80 percent of Maine's population. Web site: www.cmpco.com.

About Energy East: Energy East Corporation [NYSE: EAS] is a respected super-regional energy services and delivery company that our customers can depend on every day. We are a motivated and skilled team of professionals dedicated to creating shareholder value through our focus on profitable growth, operational excellence and strong customer partnerships. We serve about 3 million customers throughout upstate New York and New England.

— CMP —