Our Story

Central Maine Power was founded on November 7, 1899, when attorney Harvey Eaton and engineer Walter Wyman partnered to purchase a hydroelectric generator to provide street lighting and other electric services to around 100 customers in Oakland, Maine.

Not long after, the two grew their footprint through the purchase of additional hydroelectric facilities across central Maine, expanding their service area through interconnection and acquisitions. They began using the name Central Maine Power in 1910, and the tradition of innovation and commitment to serving Maine families that began with Wyman and Eaton has been carried proudly through the 20th Century into the 21st.

Supporting our success today are landmark moments. In 1918, CMP employed women in roles typically reserved for men well before women had the right to vote in the United States. During World War Two, shipyards like Bath Iron Works required large amounts of electricity to support the war effort.

More recent milestones include the historic restoration of power to hundreds of thousands of Mainers following the Ice Storm of 1998 and the joining of CMP into the Iberdrola Group and Avangrid in 2015. Avangrid is one of the largest renewable energy companies in the United States and Iberdrola, is one of the largest in the world, giving Maine access to world class talent, resources and supply chains.

Today, Central Maine Power is Maine’s largest utility company covering more than 11,000 square miles and delivering electricity to more than 650,000 customers. Many of our them are using the power we deliver in new and different ways including to heat their homes and charge vehicles.

Whether it’s responding to challenges created by a changing climate, supporting Maine’s rapid economic growth, beneficial electrification in our communities, or interconnecting more distributed power sources, like solar farms, to our grid, our company continues to deliver on our commitment to our customers and the communities we serve.