Tdworld 1046 Cmpsubstationsite
Tdworld 1046 Cmpsubstationsite
Tdworld 1046 Cmpsubstationsite
Tdworld 1046 Cmpsubstationsite
Tdworld 1046 Cmpsubstationsite

CMP Upgrades its Puddledock Substation in Manchester

March 7, 2013
Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, has put its Puddledock Substation in Manchester, Maine, back into service following a major upgrade to the facility.

Central Maine Power Co. (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, has put its Puddledock Substation in Manchester, Maine, back into service following a major upgrade to the facility. The $4-million project, which began last year, will improve power quality and enhance service to more than 3,600 homes and businesses in nine towns north and west of Augusta. The work is part of CMP’s plan to invest nearly $400 million in 2013 to expand and modernize its system.

The Puddledock Substation has a single transformer that steps down the 115-kV voltage to 34.5-kV. The distribution circuit exiting the facility supplies power to homes and businesses in Belgrade, Chesterville, Fayette, Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield, Rome, Vienna, and Winthrop.

“The improvements made over the past several months position the Puddledock Substation to safely and efficiently serve homes and businesses in western Kennebec County for decades into the future,” said CMP spokesperson Gail Rice. “Along with installing new breakers, switches, and other equipment, we have integrated state-of-the-art technology that will help us to operate the facility more efficiently and, in the rare event problems occur, troubleshoot and fix them more quickly.” 


Puddledock is the first station outside of CMP’s Maine Power Reliability Program to include the integration of IEC-61850 Protection and Control technology with the company’s system controls. This technology provides a new level of operational awareness for the utility, opening the door for automation and predictive-based maintenance. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a global leader in establishing international standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies. The IEC-61850 standard applies to substation automation systems and defines the communication protocols among protection and control devices within the substation and related utility control and protection systems.

During the construction period, the area was served by a mobile substation that CMP moved onto the property. This enabled the company to complete the upgrades without the need to interrupt service to customers.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of T&D World, create an account today!