Structure Replacements

Central Maine Power (CMP) is investing in transmission line upgrades to continue providing our customers with safe, reliable service and to strengthen Maine’s energy grid.  This is especially important as our state experiences more extreme weather and storms. CMP is undertaking a multi-year program to replace aging wooden structures with new, stronger steel poles that have longer lifespans and are engineered to modern specifications that improve grid reliability.

 

Existing 115kV structure
An existing wooden transmission line structure
Existing 345kV structure
A visual rendering of new steel pole structure

 

 

CMP will be replacing about 125 wooden 115kV (left) and 250 345kV (right) structures in 2026-27, 

Frequently asked questions

Structures will be upgraded in the following municipalities in 2026-27. If multiple towns are listed, a transmission line travels through them and the number of structures that are being replaced on that line is shown. 

 

2026: 115kVs 

  • Auburn (2) 
  • Concord, Embden, Anson (17) 
  • Palmyra, Parkman (2) 
  • South Portland (1) 
  • Biddeford (1) 
  • Cumberland, Falmouth, Westbrook, Windham (5) 
  • Livermore Falls, Leeds, Greene (17) 
  • Lewiston (1) 
  • Woolwich, Bath, Brunswick, West Bath (40) 
  • Rumford (1) 
  • Scarborough (1) 
  • Gorham (3) 
  • South Portland, Scarborough (11) 
  • Albion, China (4) 
  • Rockport (1) 
  • Starks, New Sharon, Farmington (3) 
  • Wilton, Jay (2)

2026-27: 345kVs 

  • Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham (10) 
  • Wells, North Berwick, South Berwick (7) 
  • Biddeford, Arundel (2) 
  • Lebanon, Sanford, Shapleigh, Waterboro, Hollis, Buxton (29) – Section 0385 
  • Lebanon, Sanford, Shapleigh, Waterboro, Hollis, Buxton (19) – Section 0391 
  • Pownel, Durham, Brunswick, Topsham, Bowdoinham, Woolwich (14) 
  • Pittsfield, Troy, Dixmont (11) 
  • Farmington, Wales (2) 
  • Lewiston, Durham (5) 
  • Pownel (2) 
  • Buxton, Gorham, Windham, Gray, North Yarmouth, Pownal (46) – Section 3038 
  • Buxton, Gorham, Windham, Gray, North Yarmouth, Pownal (28) – Section 0374 
  • Washington, Appleton, Monroe, Frankfort, Winterport (8)

The new steel structures will be, on average, five feet taller. The older wooden poles will be removed.  

Most work will be completed without customers experiencing an interruption of service. 

CMP crews will be accessing our transmission line corridor via roads where CMP has access rights or legal agreements with property owners or towns. CMP land agents from our Real Estate department will be reaching out to some adjacent landowners to acquire access rights.  

CMP crews will be visiting transmission line sites scheduled for upgrades to measure and mark property boundaries and environmentally sensitive areas. Please do not remove any flags. 

CMP will secure all necessary permits for this project, if needed, from the Maine Department of Transportation, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, municipalities, and railroads. 

Timber ground mats will be used, especially in environmentally sensitive areas, to safely disburse the weight of construction vehicles and not disrupt the land below them. 

At CMP, safety is a priority – yours and our crews. Our right-of-way and road locations will be active construction zones. Please do not enter construction zones. For work along streets, flaggers and signs will notify pedestrians and motorists of work zones. 

Trees and vegetation will be trimmed in the right-of-way, as needed. 

Work activity periods will comply with town ordinances. Typical construction noise, including drilling, will occur. Abutters may hear heavy equipment (bucket trucks, cranes, and excavators) during construction activities.