Staff Writer
Two of the Maine’s largest electric utilities, Maine Public Service Company and Central Maine Power Company, have announced plans to invest up to $1.9 billion in Maine’s bulk power transmission system to ensure reliability and support development of wind and renewable energy. The announcement came during a news conference held Tuesday, July 1, at the Hall of Flags at the Statehouse in Augusta.
The majority of the investment will come from Central Maine Power. CMP will invest up to $1.4 billion to ensure its bulk power grid continues to be reliable and as part of a broader effort to address economic and environmental concerns of electricity customers throughout the state. CMP is working to keep electric rates down at a time when other fuel costs continue to rise, officials said.
The joint venture involves plans for the two companies to construct a 345-kilovolt (345 kV) transmission line from central Maine to northern Aroostook County.
The Maine Power Connection (MPC), a joint project of MPS and CMP, will connect northern Maine to the CMP and New England grid. This will provide customers of MPS with access to competitive electric power markets and to support the development of proposed wind generation projects in Aroostook County – projects Governor John E. Baldacci has given his approval to over the past year, noting wind energy is a renewable source of power that will help keep energy prices down for both business and residential customers in the state.
To ensure efficient delivery of electric service, a transmission line capable of handling the electricity generated by such projects is necessary. At present, MPS does not have a connection to the New England grid or adequate capacity to handle burgeoning requests for transmission connections from wind developers. That’s why MPS is looking to invest nearly half a billion dollars in the proposed transmission line.
“We plan to invest between $400 to $500 million to build a 150 mile 345 kV transmission line and related substations from the Detroit area to northern Aroostook County. The MPC will enable the development of wind generation projects estimated at $1.6 billion, providing tremendous economic and environmental benefits to northern Maine and the entire region,” said Brent Boyles, president and CEO of MPS.
The largest part of CMP’s plan, called the Maine Power Reliability Program, includes a proposal to build a new, 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Orrington (15 miles south of Bangor), to Newington, N.H. The proposed line would follow existing transmission corridors through about 80 Maine towns, including Detroit, Benton, Windsor, Lewiston, Yarmouth, Gorham and Eliot.
For more information, visit www.mainepower.com or www.mainepowerconnection.com.
