Central Maine Power Passes 90 percent Mark in Storm Recovery

Company expects to complete storm repairs Sunday 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUSTA, MAINE  May 5, 2018  7:30 p.m. Crews from Central Maine Power Co. (CMP), a subsidiary of AVANGRID Inc. (NYSE: AGR), have restored power to more than 93 percent of customers who lost service after high winds came through Maine early Saturday morning. At 7:30 p.m., fewer than 3,400 customers remained without service. The company estimates more than 51,000 customer accounts lost power at some point on Saturday; outages peaked at an estimated 34,000 just before 8 a.m. Hardest hit have been Maine's western mountains and foothills, where wind gusts greater than 45 miles per hour caused tree limbs from outside the utility's right of way to come into contact with lines. 

Storm repairs have been completed in Androscoggin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc Counties. While good progress was made in all areas today, some customers in parts of Cumberland, Franklin, Oxford, Somerset, and York Counties are likely to be without service into Sunday. Any homes or businesses remaining without power are expected to have service back on Sunday.

Crews from AVANGRID affiliate United Illuminating in Connecticut and contractors from New Brunswick arrived in Maine today to assist with restoration. CMP has been coordinating storm recovery with the Maine Emergency Management Agency and county emergency management personnel. 


CMP offers customers the following tips to prepare for the storm and stay safe and comfortable until service is restored:


During a power interruption: 

  • Bookmark the Outage Central page at CMP Outage (mobile friendly at https://m.cmpco.com/mt/www.cmpco.com) and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for current outage and safety information.

  • When using an emergency heating source, like a wood stove, fireplace, or kerosene heater, keep fuels away from the flames and be sure to ventilate properly. 
  • Never use grills or camp stoves indoors they can give off dangerous gases 
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours or longer if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors. 
  • Turn off or unplug major appliances to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored.

After power is restored:

  • Turn on appliances and sensitive electronic equipment one at a time to avoid overloading circuits.
  • If a basement or home was flooded, have an electrician check the home before contacting CMP to have services turned on.
    Replenish any emergency supplies used during the storm.
  • CMP urges customers to stay clear of any downed power lines or fallen trees that may be tangled in lines. It also reminds drivers to use caution when approaching utility crews. The working conditions are difficult, and the workers appreciate everyone's consideration for their safety.


Additional information on storm safety and restoration, including a town-by-town listing of outages in the CMP service area with an area map, can be found on CMP's web site at www.cmpco.com.


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Crews replace a pole on a remote right-of-way in Wilton. The line supported by the pole serves as a primary feed to the Wilton area. 

 

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a diversified energy and utility company with more than $31 billion in assets and operations in 27 states. The company owns regulated utilities and electricity generation assets through two primary lines of business, Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks is comprised of eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving approximately 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables operates more than 6 gigawatts of owned and controlled renewable generation capacity, primarily through wind and solar, in 22 states across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,800 people. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

 

About CMP: Central Maine Power Company (CMP) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR). As Maine's largest electricity transmission and distribution utility, CMP serves 618,000 homes and businesses, representing about 80% of Maine's customer base. J.D. Power and Associates has ranked the company #1 in customer satisfaction seven times. For more information, visit www.cmpco.com.

 

Media Contact:

Gail Rice 
gail.rice@avangrid.com
207.622.NEWS

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