CMP has invested 99% of our profits back into Maine over the last 13 years.
That’s 99% right back into projects like these.
– New, stronger power lines that resist fallen trees and branches
– New, sturdier poles that weather Maine’s toughest storms
– New animal guards to keep Maine’s wildlife safe and prevent outages
– Tree care plans to mitigate damage
– New automation to reduce outage impacts
– New, sturdier poles that weather Maine’s toughest storms
– New animal guards to keep Maine’s wildlife safe and prevent outages
– Tree care plans to mitigate damage
– New automation to reduce outage impacts
Investment information is reported and publicly available at the MPUC
Keeping the Great Salt Bay Transmission Project “Afloat!”
An aging wooden transmission structure needed replacement on an island in Great Salt Bay off Newcastle.
With no ability to get crews or utility equipment out to the island, Team CMP took an innovative approach to solving this problem. The answer? A floating road.
CMP did extensive research to find the best solution to this challenging infrastructure project, needed to reliably serve 4300 customers in the area. We chose the floating road because it was the best environmentally sustainable way to reach the island. A floating road is made of a series of interconnecting wooden mats and floating pylons that absorb equipment weights to avoid impact to the environment. Our floating road was 1,300 feet from the Town of Newcastle’s salt/sand bay and was lined with anti-siltation/turbidity curtains to minimize the unintentional transport of sediments.
“We strive to maintain a balance in our activities,” said Project Manager Nicole Harbaugh. “Our goal was to do this project in harmony with the environment and the communities … and to continue to serve the energy needs of the communities.”
Dunstan Corner Substation Upgrades
This summer, CMP replaced a distribution substation on Route 1 in Scarborough. Built in the 1920s by Cumberland Light & Power Co the substation was in need of upgrading to meet demand in the area.
As part of CMP’s Substation Modernization Plan, a new substation was built at 35 Broadturn Road in Scarborough.
The new substation equipment provides better reliability and will meet National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) standards. Upgraded technical components were installed in a new, control house, enabling remote substation monitoring capabilities and connections to CMP’s control center.
The new and upgraded system will not only reliably and safely meet the needs of our residential and commercial customers in the area, including Abbott Labs, but will also offer capacity to better support economic development.
The project began in August 2020 during the heart of COVID-19. Thirty Maine-based contractors were involved with the project from start to this summer’s energization.
Browns Crossing Substation Upgrade
Underground wiring is often mistaken for always being more reliable, but freezing, thawing and other ground conditions can create damage, leading to faults and outages.
With an investment of $100,000, CMP enhanced power reliability for more than 3,300 residents of Farmingdale, Hallowell and Gardiner by making improvements to the circuits served by the Browns Crossing substation on Kennebec Drive in Farmingdale.
In just two weeks, CMP crews removed the cables underground at the substation, set several poles in front of the facility and restrung the conductor wire overhead to two circuits served by the substation.
“We often hear from customers that they assume underground wiring is more reliable because it isn’t impacted as much by trees and storms,” said Kevin Therriault, director of substation operations. “In this case, however, the freezing, thawing and various ground conditions led to faults and outages. Putting the wires overhead will allow us easier and faster access for any repairs that may be required in the future.”
CMP’s Resiliency Pilot Program Improves Reliability in Jackman and Livermore
CMP’s Resiliency Pilot Program, which kicked off in 2019 with system improvements for customers in Eliot, has turned its focus North with projects in Jackman and Livermore.
In Jackman, improvements include: a total conductor upgrade, new tree wire strung on thicker, more durable poles, “ground to sky” tree trimming, which keeps higher branches from falling down onto wires, and additional improvements to decrease the number and duration of outages.
In Livermore, a critical circuit will receive increased voltage and a new line installation to establish redundancy.
CMP Animal Guards
Along with Maine’s many trees comes forest creatures- specifically birds and squirrels– who are responsible for nearly 20% of outages each year by creating contact on transformers at the top of utility poles. CMP is actively installing “animal guards” to both prevent these animals from causing outages, as well as saving their lives. We are on track to install nearly 18,000 of these simple devices this year.
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RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS CALL: 800-750-4000
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