Making Connections
CMP's Role in Distributed Generation
Each day, more than 646,000 Maine homes and businesses count on Central Maine Power Company (CMP) to efficiently deliver safe, reliable electricity from a supplier of their choice over our dependable infrastructure.
Many of our customers now are signing up with renewable energy generators as their source of energy supply.
Renewable energy incentives passed by the Maine State Legislature in 2019 have led to a surge of hundreds of new solar and other distributed generation (DG) projects statewide. CMP is committed to helping the State of Maine reach its renewable energy goals by working to connect small and large generators to our energy delivery system.
What is Distributed and Community Generation
Distributed generation (DG) is electricity produced by renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass near the point of interconnection to the grid or where the power will be used. DG is unlike traditional energy delivery where power is generated at large plants, travels through a substation to be stepped down to lower voltages and is then distributed to customers in the community. DG facilities connect to distribution lines that go directly to customers and substations. Power travels in both directions, requiring specific attention to safety and reliability.
A subset of DG is community generation in which a project is supported by residential and/or non-residential consumers through participation or subscriptions in exchange for credits on their utility bills.
While wind, solar and biomass community generation exists in Maine, community solar is more known due to developers’ interest in the state’s incentive program plus the marketing of subscription plans to customers. Customers may contract directly with these energy companies for their electricity supply.
Customers
CMP is not a developer of distributed generation projects, including community generation and community solar, as we are not a power generator. Our role includes:
- Connecting DG to our energy grid: CMP works with renewable energy generators to interconnect their systems to our energy grid and distribute the electricity over our infrastructure to homes and businesses.
- Applying credits to utility bills: CMP administers the bill crediting for residential, commercial and industrial customers who participate in or subscribe to a distributed generation program, including community programs, in accordance with Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rules.
CMP customers who want to subscribe to a community generation program can contact those businesses. CMP does not accept or process community subscription plan applications. Customers (residential, commercial, and industrial) should explore their options to determine what is best for them before signing to a subscription plan with a renewable energy program.
Also, CMP cannot help customers decide whether to sign up for solar, other renewable energy offerings or any source of supply.
Customers: Learn more about CMP’s role in distributed generation by clicking on these links.
Generators and Municipalities
CMP works with renewable energy generators to safely interconnect their systems to our energy grid and to efficiently distribute the electricity over our infrastructure to homes and businesses.
Since late 2019, CMP has received hundreds of applications for interconnections from dozens of solar developers. Most of these are community solar projects that will generate between 2 MW (megawatts) and 5 MW of electricity. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, one megawatt of solar photovoltaic energy can power an average of 130 homes in Maine.
We follow an interconnection process established by the Maine Public Utilities Commission called Chapter 324 that includes numerous studies and reviews, and emphasizes timeliness, cost efficiency, and safety.
Generators and Municipalities: Learn more about CMP’s role in distributed generation by clicking on these links.
Central Maine Power (CMP)
CMP, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, serves more than 646,000 electricity customers in an 11,000 square-mile service area in central and southern Maine. Affiliated with Iberdrola SA, AVANGRID owns eight electricity, natural gas or combination utilities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York. The utilities serve 2.2 million electricity customers, 930,000 natural gas customers, and are recognized for safe, reliable energy delivery, excellent customer service, and a commitment to the community and environment.
For more information, visit avangrid.com | 1.800.750.4000 | [email protected]
Get in Touch
Call or email Public Outreach for more information or answers to your questions about CMP's work on distribution lines near a community generation project in your area. When contacting us, please state your town and the location of the facility (street).