Central Maine Power Responding to Outages from Winter Storm

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

AUGUSTA, MAINE  March 8, 2018  10:30 a.m. Crews from Central Maine Power Co. (CMP), a subsidiary of AVANGRID Inc. (NYSE: AGR), are responding to  an estimated 20,000 outages resulting from a storm that brought heavy snow and gusty winds to Maine Wednesday night and Thursday. Storm damage is heaviest in York County, where heavy snow that started falling Wednesday has coated tree limbs and brought some down onto power lines. CMP has already begun moving additional resources into York County to assist local crews with storm recovery. The company is coordinating its response with the Maine Emergency Management Agency and county emergency management personnel.


CMP follows an orderly process when restoring service that emphasizes public safety and seeks to make effective use of resources. Its priorities are as follows:

 

  1. After a storm, CMP's immediate concern is public safety. Restoration teams work with towns and the state to de-energize downed lines, clear roads and restore critical facilities such as hospitals and shelters.
  2. Next, CMP focuses on assessing the damage and repairing the backbone of the electrical distribution and transmission system: primary lines and circuits. Crews are deployed to locations where they can amplify their impact by restoring large numbers of customers at once.
  3. Then, crews restore equipment and lines that serve smaller groups of customers.
  4. Finally, crews focus on restoring any remaining service lines to individual homes and buildings until every customer has service. This phase may start while higher-priority work is already underway.

The company will post estimated restoration times on its web site at CMP Estimated Restoration time as soon as they are established.


CMP offers customers the following tips to stay safe and comfortable if power outages do occur.


During a power interruption:

  • Power outages can be reported on line at CMP's mobile-friendly website ( https://m.cmpco.com/mt/ecmp.cmpco.com/WebOutage) or by calling 800.696.1000. Our systems automatically create a work order and set the stage for dispatch of crews to the outage location.
  • Bookmark the Outage Central page at CMP Outage (mobile friendly at https://m.cmpco.com/mt/www.cmpco.com) and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for current outage and safety information.
  • When using 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
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours or longer if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.
  • Turn off or unplug major appliances to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored.

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

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