Iberdrola, Iberdrola USA and CMP Kick Off $1.4 Billion Transmission Project and $166 Million Advanced Metering Project

PORTLAND, Maine, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Iberdrola USA and Central Maine Power Company (CMP) today launched two projects with investments totaling more than $1.5 billion that will have a major impact on Maine's electricity delivery system as well as bring wider benefits to New England as a whole.

Iberdrola Group Chairman Ignacio Galan, and Maine Governor John E. Baldacci marked the start of the $1.4 billion Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP), a project that will support the development of new renewable energy resources and help ensure long-term reliability for customers by increasing the capacity and efficiency of the New England's transmission grid.

The MPRP, which will be completed in 2015, will support up to 2,000 jobs annually during the five-year construction phase, with a peak of over 3,000, and contribute significantly to the Maine economy. The project is the largest energy infrastructure project in the state's history, and the first upgrade of its electricity grid in 40 years.

"Iberdrola USA is making tremendous strides in positioning itself as a world-class energy provider," said Galan. "The start of these two important projects in Maine is tangible evidence of that progress," he added.

The Iberdrola Chairman and Governor Baldacci also installed the first of 620,000 advanced electricity meters that will be installed for CMP customers as part of a new smart grid program to be developed over the next two years. This $166 million project, covered in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will enable CMP customers to access pricing and usage information through a web portal so they can better manage energy use and cost. It will provide the company with the best possible information on outages to help speed the company's response. Further, it will mean operational efficiencies and cost reductions related to billing, account opening and closings, and credit and collections as well as instantaneous meter reading.

"I am pleased that Iberdrola, Iberdrola USA and CMP see a bright future in Maine and are willing to make these major investments in our energy infrastructure," Baldacci said. "The jobs these projects will create and the benefits the projects will bring to Mainers will contribute to enhancing the economy and preserving our quality of life."

"Today marks a major milestone for Iberdrola USA and Maine," Iberdrola USA CEO Bob Kump said. "Both the transmission project and the advanced meters will yield significant benefits in terms of reliability. Just as importantly, because the transmission project is a foundation for the development of renewable energy and the smart grid program will help customers reduce energy consumption, these projects are about protecting the environment for future generations."  

"The transmission project will be one of the largest construction projects in Maine's history," said Sara Burns, President of CMP. "Our state will have a smarter, stronger grid when it's complete. While the project is about building critical infrastructure to serve Maine for generations, in the short term it will mean jobs when Maine needs them."

The MPRP includes the construction of five new 345-kilovolt substations and related facilities linked by approximately 450 miles of new or rebuilt transmission lines. The southern end of the line ties into the New England grid near the New Hampshire border. It passes through 75 cities and towns, and the northern end interconnects with transmission lines from Canada in the central Maine town of Orrington. CMP introduced the plan after a comprehensive study of the region's electricity grid determined the need for an upgrade to guarantee the reliability of CMP's system and surrounding areas for years to come.

The advanced meters will provide customers with continuous, real-time information on electrical usage and enable suppliers to offer consumers new options for variable pricing or time-of-use rates. Studies have shown that consumers will use electricity more efficiently when they have real-time information about usage and price. The new meters will be will also help the company reduce costs, enhance system planning, and pinpoint problems more quickly during outages.

SOURCE Iberdrola USA