Central Maine Power Reports Progress in Recovery from Winter Storm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUSTA, MAINE March 8, 2018 4:30 p.m. Crews from Central Maine Power Co. (CMP), a subsidiary of AVANGRID Inc. (NYSE: AGR), are making progress restoring power to customers who lost service when a storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to Maine Wednesday night and Thursday. By 4 p.m., the utility had restored service more than 30,000 homes and businesses out of more than 52,000 affected by the storm since Wednesday evening. Outages peaked at nearly 26,000 just before noon on Thursday.
Most of the damage is in southern and coastal areas, and the utility has moved more personnel and trucks to hard-hit York County to assist local crews with storm recovery. More than 520 people are working in the field on storm recovery, and many more are performing support roles at facilities across CMP's service area. CMP is coordinating its response with the Maine Emergency Management Agency and county emergency management personnel.
While crews have restored service to more than half the customers affected, heavy snow load on tree limbs and continued snowfall are causing new outages. Travel conditions are also slowing progress. Due to the scope of the damage and continued impact from the slow-moving storm, CMP expects some customers will remain without service overnight. The company continues to update estimated restoration times on its web site at CMP Outage.
CMP's web site offers a broad range of outage information, including a description its restoration process (CMP Restoration Process) and tips for customers to stay safe and comfortable: (CMP Storm safety).
After power is restored, customers are encouraged to turn on appliances and sensitive electronic equipment one at a time to avoid overloading circuits. Those who had flooded basements should have an electrician check the home before contacting CMP to have services turned on. People are also urged to replenish any emergency supplies used during the storm.
CMP urges customers to stay clear of any downed power lines or fallen trees that may be tangled in lines. It also reminds drivers to use caution when approaching utility crews. The working conditions are difficult, and the workers appreciate everyone's consideration for their safety.
Additional information on storm safety and restoration, including a town-by-town listing of outages in the CMP service area with an area map, can be found on CMP's web site at www.cmpco.com.
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About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a diversified energy and utility company with more than $31 billion in assets and operations in 27 states. The company owns regulated utilities and electricity generation assets through two primary lines of business, Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks is comprised of eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving approximately 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables operates more than 6 gigawatts of owned and controlled renewable generation capacity, primarily through wind and solar, in 22 states across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,800 people. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About CMP: Central Maine Power Company (CMP) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR). As Maine's largest electricity transmission and distribution utility, CMP serves 618,000 homes and businesses, representing about 80% of Maine's customer base. J.D. Power and Associates has ranked the company #1 in customer satisfaction seven times. For more information, visit www.cmpco.com.
Media Contact:
Gail Rice
gail.rice@avangrid.com
207.622.NEWS