CMP Trimming Trees to Increase Power Reliability for Central Maine, Mid-Coast Area Customers

AUGUSTA, ME —April 11, 2022 — Central Maine Power (CMP) is currently trimming trees around the company’s electric distribution lines in the Central Maine and Mid-Coast areas. Crews are working their way through this 185-mile circuit, improving power reliability for customers in the towns of Frankfort, Prospect, Stockton Springs, Searsport and Hampden. This work is part of the company’s ongoing effort to protect the system from potential hazards caused by fallen branches and vegetation overgrowth.

“Being the most heavily forested state in the nation means we have to be diligent with maintaining vegetation around our electric distribution lines,” said CMP President and CEO Joe Purington. “By ensuring our lines are clear of problematic trees and limbs, we reduce the frequency of outages and ultimately improve power reliability for our customers.”

CMP works through five-year cycles of tree work to significantly reduce the occurrence of tree-related outages. Throughout these five-year cycles, CMP prunes trees along every mile of its distribution lines in trimming zones approved by the Tree Care Industry Association, totaling more than 24,000 miles of wires. This cycle ensures that approximately 20 percent of the entire system is trimmed every year. Additionally, CMP installs automated equipment along the system, which prevents momentary contacts from wind-blown branches from turning into a power outage for customers.

Learn more about CMP’s Tree Trimming Program here.

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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 cmpco.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $39 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, 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 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies - a list of America's best corporate citizens - and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

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