Central Maine Power Co. President and CEO Doug Herling will retire at the end of June, capping a 36-year career with the utility, CMP’s parent company Avangrid announced Wednesday.

Herling joined CMP in 1985 as an equipment operator at Wyman Station in Yarmouth. He was selected to lead the company in 2018, after the retirement of Sara Burns in late 2017.

Doug Herling

Herling has held various executive management positions at Avangrid Networks and CMP, including vice president for special projects, overseeing construction of the Maine Power Reliability Program, a $1.4 billion transmission and substation upgrade program.

Herling took over CMP at a challenging time in its history. The company has been besieged by low customer satisfaction, highlighted by billing problems with a new software system, as well as public opposition to the New England Clean Energy Connect power line project. It’s now fighting ongoing efforts to replace the company with a consumer-owned utility.

In a 2018 interview with the Portland Press Herald, Herling said CMP was “probably the most mistrusted company now” in the state and vowed to help restore that trust.

In 2020, Avangrid brought back former CEO David Flanagan to help with that effort. Since then, Herling has reported to Flanagan.

“I’d like to thank Doug for his leadership of CMP and his many contributions to the company over these more than three decades,” Flanagan, executive board chair of CMP, said Wednesday. “Doug’s deep operations knowledge along with his energy and determination will be missed.”

Herling said leading CMP has been an honor and a privilege.

“CMP is a great company that has served Maine since 1899, and I know will continue to proudly serve our customers in Maine for many years to come,” he said. “This has been more than just a job, it has been a mission to provide an essential service to Mainers every day.”

According to CMP, Herling had been planning to step down for a couple of months and intends to spend time at his camp on Moosehead Lake.

The company said that Flanagan and the CEO of Avangrid Networks, Catherine Stempien, will announce a successor when the decision is confirmed.

Flanagan will continue his leadership responsibilities and has no plans to depart, CMP said.