Central Maine Power Improves Farmingdale Area Reliability

Moves underground infrastructure overhead

AUGUSTA, ME — June 15, 2021 — Central Maine Power (CMP) has improved power reliability for more than 3,300 residents of Farmingdale, Hallowell and Gardiner by making improvements to the circuits served by the so-called Brown’s Crossing substation on Kennebec Drive in Farmingdale. Recent outages had been traced to underground infrastructure outside the substation. Underground system challenges are generally harder to diagnose and to repair, however CMP determined that a handful of outages last winter in these towns could be traced back to these components.

CMP 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 created damage to the underground wires which led to faults and outages. Putting the wires overhead will allow us easier and faster access for any necessary repairs that may be required in the future.”

CMP has invested just over $100,000 in upgrading the performance and reliability of the Brown’s Crossing substation, an investment that will greatly reduce the number of local outages.

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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 www.cmpco.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $36 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, 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 6,600 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 and 2020 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

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