CMP Preparations Underway to Respond over Christmas Holiday - 4 p.m.
Customers advised to take time to prepare
AUGUSTA, ME — December 23, 2020 – Maine forecasts call for a rainy, windy Christmas with gusts potentially reaching 50-60 mph. Central Maine Power (CMP) has been planning for days to ensure the company can respond quickly and safely to any outages that may occur. While Christmas is a company holiday, a full contingent of line crews, tree workers and hundreds of support staff have committed to respond, and 75 contract crews have also been secured.
CMP has prepared a staffing plan in line with storms of similar size and impact historically. Should the storm intensify or impact the state more severely, any further demand for additional out of state line and tree crews could exceed supply as the storm will affect states along the eastern seaboard.
“CMP will be ready to go as soon as the storm hits and will do our utmost to respond with the speed of repair we have demonstrated in every major storm this year. This is the third major storm our employees will face this month, and while it is a burden on our workers, contractors and their families, we are proud of the sense of responsibility and professionalism that keeps our dedicated employees and partners, both on the front lines and behind the scenes, coming back to face these ongoing winter storms in the midst of the holidays,” said David Flanagan, executive Board Chair of CMP.
In each of the two major windstorms to impact Maine earlier this month, CMP restored over 100,000 customers in 24 hours.
CMP has been planning its workforce and response plan by coordinating with local Emergency Management officials to be ready to clear local roads of any downed wires and debris, and to begin restoration as soon as possible should outages occur.
CMP reminds customers to remember the following if they have lost power:
- Stay away from downed lines. No line is safe to touch.
- Turn off or unplug major appliance and sensitive electronics.
- Never use range or outdoor stoves to heat your home.
- If you are in need of shelter or food, reach out to 211 for available resource.
CMP continues to observe all COVID-19 safety protocols in storm response 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
Customers may use online tools, accessible at www.cmpco.com to report and monitor outages.
If you lose service:
- To report an outage, visit Outage Central at cmpco.com. Customers may also report an outage using CMP’s 24/7 automated phone system at 800.696.1000.
- Keep sensitive electronic appliances such as computers, TVs and stereos plugged into a surge protector, or unplug them. They could be damaged if a power surge occurs when electricity is restored.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. For information about food safety, visit http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/refridg_food.html.
For customers with generators:
- Hire a licensed electrician to install permanent generators and transfer switches.
- Properly ground all portable generators.
- Carefully read and observe all instructions in your generator’s operating manual.
- Never run a generator indoors, or even in an open garage.
- If your carbon monoxide detector goes off – get out of the building immediately and call 911.
- Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it’s running.
- Refer to CMP’s web page on generator safety.
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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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