$27 Million Investment in Tree Trimming Program Will Help Improve Reliability for CMP Customers

AUGUSTA, ME — February 17, 2022 —  Central Maine Power (CMP) has announced that it will invest $27 million in 2022 into its Tree Trimming Program. Maine is the most heavily forested state in the nation, making falling trees and limbs the primary cause of outages throughout the state. Through the company’s Tree Trimming Program, CMP’s local arborists and Tree Trimming crews work year-round pruning branches and removing trees that could interrupt power, helping maintain the natural beauty of Maine while ensuring reliability of electric service to customers.

“Our vast forests are part of what makes Maine’s landscape so beautiful and that’s why we take tree trimming so seriously,” said CMP president and CEO, Joe Purington. “This $27 million investment allows us to target 4,600 miles this year and adds more crews to the system. Falling trees and limbs are the leading cause of outages, and that’s why it’s important to maintain the vegetation around power lines.”

CMP works through five-year cycles of tree work to significantly reduce the occurrence of tree-related outages. Throughout these five-year cycles, CMP prunes trees along every mile of its distribution lines in trimming zones approved by the Tree Care Industry Association, totaling more than 24,000 miles of wires. This cycle ensures that approximately 20 percent of the entire system is trimmed every year. Additionally, CMP installs automated equipment along the system, which prevents momentary contacts from wind-blown branches from turning into a power outage for customers.

“Our team of CMP arborists partner with qualified contractors, local towns and landowners throughout our service area to ensure the job is done right,” Purington added. “We are committed to enhancing power reliability for all of our customers each and every day and our Tree Trimming Program is an important element of that effort.”

Learn more about CMP’s Tree Trimming Program here.

###

About CMP: Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc., is Maine’s largest electricity transmission and distribution utility. Established in 1899 and based in Augusta, Maine, CMP serves approximately 636,000 customers across 346 communities in central and southern Maine. It operates approximately 23,500 miles of distribution lines and 2,900 miles of transmission lines. Over the last decade, the company has invested approximately $3.5 billion in Maine system infrastructure. In 2019, CMP was named Large Business of the Year by the Kennebec Valley United Way. For more information, visit cmpco.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $39 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies - a list of America's best corporate citizens - and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

Learn about the Iberdrola Group’s global pandemic response at its COVID-19 Hub.

Media Contact:

Node: liferay-3:8080