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Maine Lawmakers To Review Utilities' Performance During Outages

Abukar Adan
/
Maine Public
Wires downed by trees and a broken pole in Yarmouth on Nov. 1, 2017.

Some state legislators say they want to know why it took so long for electric utilities to restore power after the recent storm.

Hearings on the issue are being scheduled in the new year. Rep. Seth Berry, a democrat from Bowdoinham, serves as co-chair.

“What my committee will want to do is to get to the bottom of what happened, why the response took so long -  why, you know, School District 75 was without power and unable to operate for an entire week.”

Berry says he doesn't blame the line crews, but he is critical of Central Maine Power's management. “Policies that would put power literally in the hands of Maine people and business have been opposed by CMP to date and would have created a more resilient grid,” he says.

Berry is also criticizing CMP's website, which he says was not accurate in documenting outages. 

Berry says the panel will want to look at options for reducing the length of future outages, including a more decentralized power grid, increased tree trimming and burying more lines underground.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.