It’s not every day you can walk out your front door to see a 260 tonne transformer cruising past your house. But for Keswick Ridge and Burtt’s Corner residents, that was the case this past weekend.

This new transformer made its way through the area for the final leg of its journey to the NB Power terminal in Keswick. It’s one of the largest of its kind in the province!

After being built in the Netherlands, it was shipped to Halifax, arriving in September. From there, it continued its journey by rail to Napadogan. Here, it was loaded onto  an equally big trailer for a 3.5 day trip along mostly backroads to its new home. A full convoy of trucks, escort vehicles and flaggers were on hand to make the journey smooth and safe for everyone involved and watching nearby.

The Keswick terminal is an important part of New Brunswick’s electric grid. There are 2 power systems that run at the highest voltage levels (345 kV and 230kV) – and a 3rd at a lower voltage of 138kV - to take power from our stations and interconnections to areas it’s needed in the province. The Keswick terminal brings these systems together.

Generating stations in Southern New Brunswick - including Mactaquac - and one of our interconnections with the US go through this terminal. Most of the power that serves Fredericton and surrounding areas also comes through Keswick.

So, how does a transformer work?

It takes energy that comes in at one voltage level and changes it to another- either making it higher (up to 345kV) or lower (down to 230kV.)  

This is different from a substation, which takes higher voltages of energy on the transmission system and brings it to a lower level for the distribution system. Once on the distribution system, the smaller, pole-top transformers you see in your neighborhood help bring that voltage down to a safe level for your home.

This new transformer will add extra capacity at the Keswick terminal and help make the power grid more flexible and resilient. This allows us to continue to bring safe, reliable power to you and your family.

Juicy turkey, fluffy stuffing and rich potatoes; Thanksgiving is a time to connect with family and loved ones. While you get ready for- and enjoy- the big meal, help your home take a power break with these 7 easy energy-saving tips that will keep your Thanksgiving guests and your wallet happy.

1. Your oven will heat some parts of your home while in use, allowing you to comfortably lower the thermostat a few degrees.

2. Speaking of ovens, the convection settings can save you time and energy. The convection settings on your oven use fans to continuously circulate hot air around your food. This will cook your food faster, reducing your oven and energy use.

3. You can further reduce your oven use by planning side dishes that can be cooked at the same time as your turkey – on the stove, in a slow cooker, in the microwave, or in the oven next to the turkey itself!

4. Glass and ceramic pans and trays retain more heat and can reduce your required cook time and/or oven temperature requirements.

5. Use lids when cooking on the stove to cook foods quicker.

6. Have a large family or several loved ones attending dinner? Consider holding a potluck. If everyone brings one or two dishes, your home’s energy use won’t be as high.

7. Use your ENERGY STAR® certified dishwasher for clean-up – it actually uses less water than handwashing dishes. Scrape dishes beforehand to avoid pre-rinsing.