Central Maine Power Co. is upgrading its electricity delivery system to enhance service to customers in Raymond and several surrounding communities.

The utility completed a major expansion of the Raymond Substation earlier this year with the addition of a new transformer, two new breakers, a capacitor bank, and communications equipment that allows additional remote monitoring and control capabilities. Also this year, the utility rebuilt an 8.2-mile section of transmission line between its North Gorham and Raymond substations. The line will initially operate at 34.5 kilovolts (kV), but is built to 69 kV standards so it will serve the area’s needs well into the future.

As the final phase of the work, CMP is upgrading its roadside distribution equipment to handle increasing loads, add redundancies, and reduce the potential for outages. Construction began in mid-June and is expected to be completed by the end of August.

“The existing circuit that feeds customers in Raymond, Naples, Casco, and Otisfield has served the area well, but with rapid commercial and residential growth over the years, it has reached its capacity,” said CMP spokesman John Carroll.

Carroll points out that the work in the Raymond area is part of a broader effort to enhance service and reliability to CMP’s 597,000 customers.

“The Raymond area reinforcements are part of an estimated $120 million we plan to invest in our system this year,” said Carroll. “We’re putting in state-of-the art systems and expanding our capacity to ensure the outstanding service and reliability our customers have come to expect.”

Central Maine Power, a subsidiary of Energy East Corporation, operates more than 25,000 miles of power lines and other facilities that deliver electricity to 80 percent of Maine’s population.