Central Maine Power Co. has received the final federal permit to begin work on a $1.4 billion upgrade to its bulk power transmission system, the company is reporting.
With sign-off from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in hand, the company will begin mobilizing contractors within the next few weeks at several sites across central Maine.
“This will be one of the largest construction projects in Maine ’s history,” said Sara Burns, CMP’s president.
CMP says the Maine Power Reliability Program will ensure long-term reliability and encourage renewable energy development by increasing the capacity and efficiency of New England ’s transmission grid. The project includes the construction of five new 345-kilovolt substations and related facilities, linked by approximately 450 miles of new or rebuilt transmission lines.
The southern end of the line ties into the New England grid near the New Hampshire border. It passes through 75 cities and towns. The northern end, in Orrington, connects with transmission lines from Canada.
The company introduced the plan after a comprehensive study of the region’s electricity grid found problems that threatened the reliability of CMP’s system and surrounding areas.
The project will sustain an average of 2,000 new jobs during the five years of construction and generate an average of $60 million annually in wages and salary, according to company estimates.
The Maine Power Reliability Program has also been reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the New England Independent System Operator. The Maine Public Utilities Commission and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection approved the project earlier this year.
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