Electrifying the Uptown

English: , Saint John Energy was established by the Saint John Common Council in 1922 to manage and operate the transmission and distribution of electrical power and energy in the City of Saint John. The Union Street substation was built in 1969 to replace the Dock Street Plant of 1892 which was located where the Market Square complex currently stands. , Electricity is measured and sold by the kilowatt-hour (KWH). A KWH represents the amount of electricity required to operate a 100 watt bulb for 10 hours. , The Union Street substation supplies 175 million kilowatt-hours each year for 4,000 commercial, industrial, and residential customers. , Transmission lines are used to move electricity efficiently over long distances at a very high voltage. The electricity enters this substation by underground transmission lines. High voltage cable terminators provide the safe transition from insulated cables to bare overhead lines. Voltage is then decreased by power transformers. At the substation, the bulk power received is metered and sent out over circuits via underground cables to be distributed throughout the Uptown and harbour area. , The switchgear is the control centre of the substation. It is clad in metal to protect the breakers, relays, meters, and other electrical equipment from the weather. The breakers and relays protect the lines from lightning and other types of faults. The voltage that flows through these power lines is still too high to safely use in our homes, so it is reduced once again at either pad mount or pole mount transformers. , Can you find the switchgear, power transformers and high voltage cable terminators using the view tubes? ,