CMP Completes Major Storm Reliability Project in Central Maine
Augusta, ME — March 27, 2025 – Central Maine Power (CMP), a subsidiary of Avangrid Inc., announced that it has completed a large-scale storm reliability project that improves service for more than 1,990 customers in the Winthrop-Manchester area.
The project was developed following the historic winter storm that hit Maine in December 2023. That extreme weather event impacted more than 400,000 CMP customers causing widespread infrastructure damage.
To prepare for future storms, CMP’s engineers and grid planners analyzed ways to strengthen the grid in order to minimize power outages. To accomplish this for customers in the Winthrop and Manchester region, CMP crews constructed a “circuit-tie.” A circuit tie creates a backup pathway for power to flow from one area to another and allows crews to make repairs to an impacted line without a significant disruption of electric service to customers.
“When extreme weather hits, we analyze our response to see what long-term improvements we can make by investing in grid upgrades well before the next storm strikes,” said Eric Sutton, Vice President of Electric Operations for CMP. “This project is a great example of how we can build weather-resilient infrastructure in a way that’s efficient and demonstrates our commitment to affordability.”
This project reached completion on Tuesday, March 18, with the installation of voltage regulators in Winthrop along Route 202. Below is a link to downloadable video that news-media may use rights free showing that work.