CMP Upgrades Raymond-Pownal Transmission Line

Reliability of line improved with installation of steel transmission structures.

AUGUSTA, ME - December 30, 2025 - Central Maine Power (CMP), a subsidiary of Avangrid Inc., has successfully completed the replacement of 17 wooden structures on one of its transmission lines running from Raymond to Pownal. This upgrade strengthens the grid to improve resiliency for all of CMP's customers across its service territory.

New steel structures that are approximately five feet taller than previous structures were installed between this past September and November in Raymond, New Gloucester and Pownal. The steel structures are stronger and more resistant to extreme weather and moisture.

"The work that happened this fall is not only a great example of how we're improving reliability for our customers, it's also a powerful showcase of skilled linework," said Eric Sutton, Vice President of Electric Operations for CMP. "None of our customers experienced an outage as we made these replacements because crews were able to conduct all of our work safely while these high voltage lines were energized. This speaks to their extensive training and experience."

In addition to the careful planning required to facilitate these structure replacements, CMP partnered with the State of Maine on an access plan for portions of this work in order to protect sensitive wetland areas from invasive species of plants.

This included repeatedly washing company vehicles before the vehicles entered the line's right of way in certain locations.