Central Maine Power Starts Construction on a 345,000 V Substation in Kennebunk, Maine

Sept. 14, 2012
Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, broke ground on a 345-kV substation in the southern Maine community of Kennebunk.

Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, broke ground on a 345-kV substation in the southern Maine community of Kennebunk. The Maguire Road Substation, which will cost roughly $30 million to build, is one of five new 345-kV substations the company is building as part of its $1.4 billion 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-kV autotransformer and related facilities to support the region’s 115-kV transmission grid. The early stages of work will involve clearing and excavation of the 4-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 $1.4 billion investment in Maine’s bulk power transmission system. The five-year project includes the construction of five new 345-kV substations, upgrades to more than 40 existing substations, and the installation or rebuilding of about 450 mi 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.

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