BAR HARBOR – The Maine Public Utilities Commission has upheld the results of an investigation into a power outage that hit part of the local downtown business district on July Fourth.

According to PUC spokeswoman Nicole Clegg, the commission voted 2-0 on Nov. 21 to uphold a report written on the incident by Steve Dunn of PUC’s consumer assistance division. In his Oct. 25 report, Dunn indicated that Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. could have taken steps that could have avoided the blackout.

Downtown merchants have taken the power company to task for the outage, claiming that there have been several in recent years and that service to their businesses needs to be improved. The July Fourth blackout was predictable, the merchants have said, because that day is one of the busiest of the year in the coastal community, which draws millions of seasonal tourists every year.

Dunn noted in his report that after an outage one month earlier in downtown Bar Harbor, one of Bangor Hydro’s own engineers recommended the temporary installation of additional equipment to forestall another outage while a more permanent solution was being pursued.

Bangor Hydro spokeswoman Jen Brooker said Monday that the company appealed Dunn’s finding because it thought it had reacted reasonably to the July Fourth outage. In reviewing Dunn’s report, the commission did not dispute Dunn’s suggestion that Bangor Hydro could have done more to prevent the blackout. The two-member panel indicated, however, that the company’s reaction to the outage was reasonable, she said.

“We are pleased with the decision of the commission,” Brooker said.

Eli Young, co-owner of Epi Sub and Pizza on Cottage Street, also appealed Dunn’s report, claiming that it made no reference to earlier outages that the PUC should have considered in reviewing the incident. He said Monday that he and adjacent businesses affected by the outage otherwise were happy with Dunn’s report.

Young said he and other affected merchants still hope to be reimbursed for the financial losses they suffered as a result of the blackout.

“We are still awaiting a response from Bangor Hydro,” he said.

According to Brooker, Bangor Hydro is taking steps to increase the power supply to Bar Harbor and other towns on Mount Desert Island. A new substation in Trenton, which connects MDI to the mainland, is being planned, she said.

“We want to do all we can to provide the best service possible,” Brooker said. “It will take some time.”