CMP Restores Power to More than 125,000 Customers updated 12.7.20

Restoration efforts to continue throughout the night  

Updated 12/7/2020

AUGUSTA, Maine — December 7, 2020 – Central Maine Power (CMP) has restored power to over 125,000 customers within 24 hours of Saturday’s Nor’easter. Approximately 233,000 customers were impacted as a result of heavy, wet snow, strong winds, and rain throughout CMP’s service territory. CMP was prepared for the storm with internal line and tree crews in place prior to the event, and secured support from in- and out-of-state contractors in advance. In total, there are over 1,500 people supporting restoration efforts, including field crews, CMP’s Customer Contact Center, and other support staff.

“A huge thanks goes out to the crews and support staff who worked hard all day to get power back on for over 100,000 customers,” said David Flanagan, CMP’s executive chairman. “That being said, there is still work to be done and we won’t stop until we reach full restoration for all.”

CMP has determined Global Estimated Restoration Times (ETRs) for those still without power by county. A “global” time indicates when the company expects full restoration for that entire county although specific towns may be restored sooner, and these times will be updated. While CMP is still encouraging people to plan for extended outages, they are also reminding customers that many will likely have power restored sooner than the county ETR.

“Some areas have Global ETRs of Wednesday night,” added Flanagan. “While this is a multi-day event, many customers will have their power return tonight, tomorrow, and Tuesday. We have more crews from Hydro Quebec and Green Mt. Electric on their way to further strengthen our restoration team. This will allow us to redeploy crews as needed to the hardest hit areas within our territory as restoration continues.”

Here are Global ETRs by County:

  • York: Tuesday Night, 12/8
  • Cumberland:
    • Southern Cumberland County: Monday Night, 12/7
    • Northern Cumberland County: Wednesday Night, 12/9
  • Androscoggin: Wednesday Night,12/9
  • Somerset: Tuesday Night, 12/8
  • Franklin: Wednesday Night, 12/9
  • Kennebec: Tuesday Night, 12/8
  • Oxford: Wednesday Night, 12/9
  • Penobscot: Monday Night, 12/7
  • Knox: Monday Night, 12/7
  • Waldo: Monday Night, 12/7
  • Sagadahoc: Monday Night, 12/7
  • Lincoln: Monday Night, 12/7
  • Hancock: Monday Night, 12/7
  • Piscataquis: Tuesday Night, 12/8  

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.

Media Contact:

  • Catharine Hartnett
    catharine.hartnett@avangrid.com
    207.458-3510 (cell)
  • 24/7 Media Hotline
    1.833.MEDIA.55 (833.633.4255)
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