CMP Restores Power to 90 Percent of Customers Impacted by Weekend Nor’easter

Crews continue to work addressing hardest hit areas  

AUGUSTA, Maine — December 8, 2020 – Central Maine Power (CMP) has restored power to 90 percent of customers impacted by this weekend’s Nor’easter, which brought heavy, wet snow, strong winds, rain, and ice. As of 11:00 AM on Tuesday, power has been restored to more than 210,000 customers, with under 23,000 remaining without power. Severe weather conditions throughout the weekend resulted in significant tree and limb damage across CMP’s service territory.

“Mainers, who are used to seeing feet of snow each winter, may look out their window and not understand why this storm was so damaging,” said David Flanagan, CMP’s executive chairman. “The wet snow and sustained winds, upwards of 50 MPH in some areas, and ice brought large trees and limbs down—breaking 260 poles, taking down lines, and even damaging underground facilities.”

CMP’s 100 internal line crews supported by 483 external line crews and 264 tree crews will continue restoration efforts throughout the day today. As crews finish restoration efforts in their designated area, they are being deployed to the hardest hit areas to provide additional support, primarily in CMP’s northern and Bridgton-area territories.

“We know this is challenging and customers are frustrated,” added Flanagan. “We will not stop until every customer has power restored.”

CMP has been coordinating with the Maine Emergency Management Agency, County Emergency Management agencies, and local municipalities to understand restoration priorities and any safety concerns. 

CMP continues to observe all COVID-19 safety protocols in storm response including:

- Working in separate teams to minimize contact
- Restricting visitor access to company facilities
- Entering a customer residence only in the event of emergency and after assessing risk
- Maintaining appropriate social distancing in the field
- Allowing one employee per vehicle
- Wearing masks

Customers may use online tools, accessible at www.cmpco.com to report and monitor outages.

If you lose service:

To report an outage, visit Outage Central at cmpco.com. Customers may also report an outage using CMP’s 24/7 automated phone system at 800.696.1000. 

Keep sensitive electronic appliances such as computers, TVs and stereos plugged into a surge protector, or unplug them. They could be damaged if a power surge occurs when electricity is restored.
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. For information about food safety, visit http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/refridg_food.html.

For customers with generators:

  • Hire a licensed electrician to install permanent generators and transfer switches.
  • Properly ground all portable generators.
  • Carefully read and observe all instructions in your generator’s operating manual.
  • Never run a generator indoors, or even in an open garage.
  • If your carbon monoxide detector goes off – get out of the building immediately and call 911.
  • Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it’s running.
  • Refer to CMP’s web page on generator safety

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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 www.cmpco.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $36 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, 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 6,600 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 and 2020 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

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