CMP Files Settlement with Maine Regulator to Resolve Pending Distributed Generation and Interconnection Cases

Resolution harnesses innovation and collaboration to move Maine’s clean energy future forward

AUGUSTA, ME — January 10, 2022 — Central Maine Power (CMP) today announced that it has filed a settlement with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) to improve the deployment of solar generation across the company’s service area and increase collaboration with the developer community. As part of the filing, CMP commits to investing $700,000 over the next two years to fund new resources that will allow the company to more quickly complete the necessary work to support the safe integration of distributed clean energy generation onto Maine’s electric grid. The funds will also support the MPUC’s distributed generation working group, where developers and CMP can transparently address the grid solutions needed to accommodate the hundreds of proposed projects that have applied to connect to the system. To date, CMP has already hired more than 100 employees and contractors to support the application and study process required for renewable solar development projects.

“In order to reach Maine’s clean energy goals, we must have a firm and forward-looking commitment from developers, regulators, policy-makers and utilities to work together to address challenges and find solutions,” said CMP President and CEO, Joe Purington. “We have made great strides to date and this settlement was an opportunity to ensure momentum by providing a framework to help us work more collaboratively and effectively.”

“Reaching the state’s ambitious clean energy goals will require significant investments and an ‘all of the above’ approach, including adding clean baseload generation, building more small renewable generation, electrification efforts like EV’s and heat pumps, expanding energy efficiency programs and investing in a more resilient and flexible grid,” said Purington. “CMP is committed to working with stakeholders on all of these solutions to bring Mainers clean, reliable and affordable energy.”

In the proposed settlement, CMP along with Maine Renewable Energy Association and Coalition for Community Solar Access (MREA/CCSA), the Office of the Public Advocate, Con Edison Clean Energy Business (Con Ed), and the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) agreed to resolve all outstanding issues with respect to interconnection practices and the required transmission cluster study process. As part of the agreement, CMP will invest a total of $700,000 over two years to fund the MPUC’s DG Interconnection Working Group consultant and fund contracted analyst resources to support transmission planning, distribution planning and interconnection projects, with particular focus on the transmission cluster study process required by the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE).

In its role as grid operator, CMP has two important duties in the interconnection process: ensuring the safe and reliable operation and management of the electric distribution system that delivers power directly to consumers’ homes and businesses, and conducting transmission cluster studies mandated by ISO-NE to ensure that proposed projects seeking to connect to the bulk power system will not cause reliability concerns or damage to the system.

“Being a good community and industry partner is important as we seek to best serve Mainers,” Purington continued. “While our name may be the same, as we turn the page and focus on the future, I’m hopeful that people recognize the way we approach issues has fundamentally changed to be more collaborative and customer focused.”

CMP is part of the AVANGRID family, a leading sustainable clean energy company in the United States.

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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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