CMP monopoly not in Maine’s best interests

Central Maine Power is making its smart-meter network less vulnerable to power outages, a weak link identified during last October’s wind and rain storm that blacked out a record number of customers. The company say that key devices in the network are now wired for back-up generators, and that the utilty has increased the number of mobile generators available for use during extended outages.

The performance of the smart meters was one of the key factors being scrutinized in investigations into CMP’s response to the storm.

The well being of over 600,000 Mainers is in the hands of CMP. Their miserable preparedness and equally miserable response after the windstorm is hardly worthy of a nod from the PUC. The smart meters were useless, their newly installed billing system crashed, they had no back up generators, no detailed hard copy of the grid, out of state contractors sat around because efforts were so uncoordinated, emergency shelters were not provided, and CMP, until this day, claim they did a stellar job, their meters worked fine and there is nothing wrong with their billing system. A “Regulated monopoly” controlled by a political body is not in the best interest of Mainers.

Nancy Sosman,

Frankfort