Central Maine Power Hits 60 Percent Mark for Service Restoration Following Blizzard

 

Company expects to restore service to most customers today, and urges customers to sign up for "Outage Alert" service to receive information about outages affecting their homes and businesses

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

AUGUSTA, Maine  March 15, 2017  Central Maine Power Company, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), has restored power to more than 24,000 of the customers who lost service when heavy snow and strong winds came through Maine on Tuesday. The company reports fewer than 16,000 customers were without service at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The storm has disrupted service to more than 40,000 customers. Outages from heavy snow and high winds peaked at nearly 32,000 late Tuesday evening.


We've been able to make good progress today, and expect that will continue into the evening, said Gail Rice, CMP spokesperson. We expect to meet our goal to complete restoration to at least 90 percent of affected customers by late this evening.


CMP brought additional line and tree crews from contractors before the storm reached Maine. On Wednesday, the company moved more resources to the hardest hit towns in southern Maine.


While outages were reported across CMP's service area in central and southern Maine, York County received the most damage. Difficult travel and high winds initially made the task of restoring service more difficult Tuesday.

 
CMP encourages customers to enroll in its Outage Alerts service, which provides free outage information via e-mail, text, or voice mail. More information about Outage Alerts can be found on CMP's web site: https://www.cmpco.com/youraccount/aboutalerts.html

 


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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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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