CMP News

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

Corporate Communications - corpcomm@cmpco.com 

Release: Immediate - An Energy East Company

CMP mobilizing in anticipation of severe weather

AUGUSTA, Maine, April 15, 2007  Central Maine Power Company has increased its overnight staffing and will muster crews at first light in anticipation of widespread outages. As of 8:00 p.m., the company reported only a few hundred scattered outages. CMP has been in frequent contact with the Maine Emergency Management Agency throughout the day to coordinate the company's plans with preparations by state officials. The company has also been in contact with contract crews and out-of-state utilities to line up extra resources for the morning.

"The forecast has all the ingredients for a lot of damage," said CMP spokesman John Carroll. "Heavy, wet snow will weigh down limbs, as in the two storms we had just in the past weeks. The winds and rain will make it worse, especially if we start to get gusts up around 50 knots along the coast and at higher elevations. The soil is getting saturated, so the wind can uproot whole trees."

CMP offers customers some simple steps to stay safe and comfortable if power outages do occur.

• Keep battery-operated flashlights and radios on hand, along with supplies of drinking water and non-perishable foods.
• When you use an emergency heating source  like a wood stove, fireplace, or kerosene heater  keep fuels away from the flames and be sure to ventilate properly.
• Never use grills or camp stoves indoors  they can give off dangerous gases.
• For customers with generators:
  • Carefully read and observe all instructions in your generator's owner manual.
  • Don't run a generator indoors, even in an open garage.
  • Hire a licensed electrician to install permanent generators and transfer switches.
  • Make sure portable generators are properly grounded.
  • Don't store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it's running.
  • Refer to CMP's web page on generator safety: http://www.cmpco.com/safety/generator.html.

The company also urges customers to use caution if they see downed lines.

"Everyone should stay clear of any downed power lines and fallen trees or limbs that may be tangled in the lines," said Carroll. "These should all be considered live and dangerous. Customers should leave the clean-up to our crews, who are trained and equipped to handle these situations safely."

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 —