$1.5 Billion CMP Maine Power Reliability Program

The $1.5 billion Maine Power Reliability Program was the largest transmission project in Maine's history, with approximately 350 miles of new high voltage transmission line and five new substations. Pierce Atwood was instrumental in helping CMP assess the need for the project through the ISO-New England regional transmission planning process, overseeing the studies to develop the transmission solution for that need, preparing the non-transmission alternative assessment for the project, and obtaining all federal, state, and municipal environmental and land use permits for the project.

We were also responsible for obtaining the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity(CPCN) for the project from the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC Docket No. 2008-00255), in a hotly contested proceeding involving over 160 parties and extensive discovery, technical conferences, expert testimony development and lengthy evidentiary hearings and post-hearing briefing. The Maine PUC by order dated June 10, 2010 approved a detailed settlement that granted CMP a CPCN for approximately $1.4 billion of the MPRP, including all of the proposed 345 kV lines and substations.