Program Fact Sheet
Project Overview
Central Maine Power Company (CMP) is committed to efficiently delivering safe, reliable electricity from suppliers, that customers may choose, over our dependable energy grid.
Renewable energy incentives passed by the Maine State Legislature in 2019 have led to a surge of new solar and other distributed generation (DG) projects statewide.
CMP’s Role
CMP supports the State of Maine’s renewable energy goals and we are committed to interconnecting DG projects to the grid safely and reliably. CMP is not a developer of distributed generation projects, including community generation, as we do not generate power.
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 both directly to customers and to 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. The most common is community solar. Customers may contract directly with these energy companies for their electricity supply.
Credits and Utility Bills
Under community generation, residential and non-residential consumers can subscribe to or participate in a portion of the project in exchange for credits on their utility bills. Under one type of subscription program, the enrolled consumer earns credits for their portion of power generated and pays the business an agreed-upon rate for the credits. The credits, then, are applied to their CMP utility bill.
Interconnection
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.
CMP follows an interconnection process established by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that emphasizes timeliness, cost efficiency, and safety. We are a dedicated team of engineers, project managers, construction workers and others focusing solely on distribution generation projects and interconnections. For more information, visit CMP's Interconnection website.
Studies
Once we receive an interconnection application from a solar generator, it goes through a multi-faceted application/system phase review and a design/build phase review before testing and commissioning and then energizing. More information about these phases is listed on the CMP’s Interconnection website.
Distribution Lines
To facilitate the Interconnection of a renewable energy project to CMP’s grid, a developer may need to extend or upgrade a distribution line and partner with CMP to perform this work in a safe, efficient manner. If needed, property easements are obtained by the generator for the placement and maintenance of the line if it crosses private property, ensuring appropriate distance on each side of the line for property access in order to perform maintenance or repairs due to an emergency.
Property Owners
CMP is not affiliated with any distributed (or community) generation business and will not approach landowners to lease their land for a project.
For distribution line upgrades or extensions, the distributed or community generator will secure the property needed for CMP to do the line work.
Permits
Renewable energy generators will secure any local, state and/or federal permits needed for their project. For distribution line extensions or upgrades, CMP will secure local, state, and/or federal permits, if necessary.
Work Hours/Noise
For distribution line extensions or upgrades, most work will be done during daylight hours. For some projects, work may be needed at night and outages may be required. CMP will notify you. Construction noise may be present. We follow all community work and noise ordinances.
Safety
AVANGRID, CMP’s parent company, has strict work, job site, and Covid-19 safety protocols. Also, CMP and its contractors follow local, state, and federal safety rules.