CMP Power Restoration Nearly Complete Following Isaias

Power restored to more than 117,000 customers by Thursday afternoon

AUGUSTA, Maine — August 6, 2020 — As of Thursday afternoon, Central Maine Power (CMP) has restored power to 117,125 customers following Tropical Storm Isaias. The storm impacted approximately 118,000 customers, causing severe tree damage as a result of heavy sustained winds. As of Thursday, at 4:00 PM, there were fewer than 875 customers without power, mostly concentrated in the hardest hit areas in York and Oxford Counties.

The restoration team restored power to 110,000 customers within the first 24 hours of the storm. In addition to about 200 CMP lineworkers, restoration efforts were supported by approximately 240 contracted lineworkers, including 80 from New Brunswick and 30 from Hydro Quebec; the company also had 100 tree crews.  

“CMP’s restoration progress was among the fastest on the East Coast thanks to our advanced planning and committed staff,” said CMP Executive Chairman David Flanagan. “Restoration will be complete for nearly all customers by this evening.”

“I want to thank our lineworkers and contracted partners as well as our dedicated support staff including our contact center representatives for their incredible efforts,” Flanagan continued. “This storm response is proof that our team here at CMP is made up of some of the industry’s best.”

CMP follows a restoration process where, in coordination with local Emergency Management Agencies, the company clears roads of any downed wires, poles and branches. After making roads safe, CMP prioritizes critical facilities such as hospitals, medical facilities and grocery stores, focuses on locations that restore larger numbers of customers at once, and then restores equipment and lines serving smaller numbers of customers.

CMP crews and contractors are also adhering to COVID-19 protocols that include appropriate social distancing practices for field employees and contractors including:

  • Working in separate teams to minimize contact
  • Restricting visitor access to company facilities
  • Entering a customer residence only in the event of emergency and after assessing risk
  • Maintaining appropriate social distancing in the field
  • Allowing one employee per vehicle
  • Wearing masks as situations require

Customers may use online tools, accessible at www.cmpco.com to report and monitor 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 624,000 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 $2.6 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 $34 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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