About the Project

Project Overview

Project Need 

The original Section 1 transmission line has wooden structures that will be replaced with stronger, more storm-resilient steel poles. Once work on the new line is complete, the older segment will be decommissioned and removed.

No outages are required, and the current lines will remain energized throughout construction.

Project Plan

The project plan includes these four components:

• Clearing the Corridor: To prepare the area for construction and to help clear any potential hazard trees that could cause outages, vegetation management crews will be cutting, trimming, and mowing within the corridor.
• Rebuild: The Section 1 line from Augusta to Winslow will be rebuilt and upgraded to improve resiliency and reliability and increase capacity to accommodate future growth in the area.
• Reroute: In Winslow, CMP’s current Section 1 and Section 40 share a corridor. Section 40 from Smiley Avenue to the Winslow Substation will be rebuilt and Section 1 will be added to the new Section 40. Section 1 will also be relocated to an existing corridor in Augusta.
• Decommission: The current Section 1 also travels from Smiley Avenue and runs parallel to Route 100 to Heywood Road and the Winslow Substation on Benton Avenue. Once the new line is energized, the existing structures will be removed. This will also be the case for the old section 1 in Augusta.

Project Scope and Estimated Timetable

• The project begins in November 2024 with tree cutting, trimming, and mowing of low-level vegetation to ensure there is enough space for construction. The placement of ground mats in the corridor will begin in early 2025. Ground mats will only be placed in environmentally sensitive areas like wetlands to protect them.
• This line will be constructed in segments starting in April 2025 in Winslow. Please see the Construction Schedule page.
• Construction is expected to be completed in 2026.
• All work will occur in CMP’s existing historical easements and right of way.
• New weathered-brown steel monopoles plus wire will be installed at an offset to the existing line. 
• Once the new line is energized, the existing line will be removed, and the area will be restored.
• A prolonged outage is not necessary to complete construction.

Regulatory Approval

In June 2023, the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) approved CMP’s application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), which demonstrated the public need to rebuild the existing 34.5kV transmission line up to Winslow to address high-level reliability and capacity needs, especially in worst-case conditions. In July 2024, MPUC approval was given for a segment of Section 1 to be rerouted onto Section 40. A separate two-mile segment of Section 1 in Winslow will be decommissioned and removed. Please see the Document Library page for documents related to the MPUC approval.