CMP Starts Construction On A 345,000 Volt Substation In Kennebunk, Maine

Augusta, ME - Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, broke ground last week on 345,000 volt substation in the southern Maine community of Kennebunk. The Maguire Road Substation, which will cost roughly $30M to build, is one of five new 345,000 volt substations the company is building as part of its $1.4B Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP).

 “The new Maguire Road Substation will be the cornerstone of our improvements in York County,” said Doug Herling, vice president of Special Projects at CMP. “It will ensure long-term reliability and add capacity for the transmission system in one of the fastest growing areas of the state.”

The new substation will be built as an expansion of the company’s existing Maguire Road facility in Kennebunk. It will include a 345,000 volt autotransformer and related facilities to support the region’s 115,000 volt transmission grid. The early stages of work will involve clearing and excavation of the four-acre site. Construction of the substation foundations, structures, electrical components, control house, and fencing will follow. CMP expects to complete construction at the site in 2014.

Central Maine Power Company’s MPRP is a $1.4B investment in Maine’s bulk power transmission system. The five-year project includes the construction of five new 345,000 volt substations, upgrades to more than 40 existing substations, and the installation or rebuilding of about 450 miles of transmission line in 75 communities from Eliot to Orrington. The project will improve the reliability of the company’s bulk power grid and enable the integration of new energy resources in the region. An economic impact study of the MPRP estimated that it would generate nearly 3,000 jobs in direct and indirect employment during the peak years of construction. The utility expects to complete the project mid-2015.