CMP: Bizarre Forklift Incident Highlights Benefits of a Modern Grid
20 Agosto 2024 - 11:20AM
Business Wire
Most customers had their power restored
remotely in ten minutes thanks to automated reclosers and remote
operated switches
Early Sunday morning, joyriding vandals stole an industrial
forklift and drove its boom into high voltage transmission lines in
the Lewiston-Auburn area, cutting power to nearly 7,000 customers.
No one was hurt and police continue to investigate.
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Pictures of the entangled industrial
forklift prior to its removal and CMP repairs on Sunday, 8/18/2024
(Photo: Business Wire)
Despite this bizarre incident, Central Maine Power (CMP)
crews were able to quickly restore power to more than 80% of
affected customers in 10 minutes, thanks to investments in modern
grid technology.
The fast restoration time represents a notable advancement in
how the modern grid is capable of being managed remotely from CMP’s
Energy Control Center. The installation of more automated reclosers
and remote switches on the system is part of the company’s ongoing
investment strategy. In this case, grid technology reduced the
number of customers affected by this outage while utility workers
dedicated more than six hours to making the scene safe, untangling
the industrial forklift, and performing equipment repairs.
“This type of outcome is precisely why we continue to pursue
strategies and investments to further enhance grid automation,”
said Adam Desrosiers, Vice President of Electric Operations for
CMP. “We know our customers are depending on the electricity we
deliver to work, to drive cars and to heat homes. These devices can
greatly reduce the scale and duration of power outages for our
customers – no matter the cause.”
As part of its strategy to invest in more grid automation, CMP
is working to identify additional funding resources to accelerate
grid modernization strategies.
In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment
Office announced that CMP had secured a $30 million grant, awarded
under the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP)
program. This grant was established by the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law.
In July 2024, CMP was awarded a portion of the $6.6 million in
grants announced by the Governor’s Energy Office as part of the
Maine Grid Resilience Program to make upgrades, including adding
automated devices to portions of its system in the Baldwin, Sebago
and Standish area.
Below are links to downloadable video of a CMP automated
recloser, the CMP Energy Control Center and pictures of the
entangled forklift:
B/Roll of Automated Recloser
B/Roll of Energy Control Center
About Central Maine Power: 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 646,000
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.
For more information, visit www.cmpco.com.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be
the leading sustainable energy company in the United States.
Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $46 billion in
assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary
lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks
business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas
utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and
New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and
operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities
across the United States. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000
people and has been recognized by JUST Capital as one of the JUST
100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens – in
2024 for the fourth consecutive year. In 2024, Avangrid ranked
first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the
U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the
World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive
year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group
of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information,
visit www.avangrid.com.
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Dustin Wlodkowski dustin.wlodkowski@avangrid.com
207-816-2820
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