Central Maine Power workers installing a new power cable in Sebago Lake. Contributed / Town of Frye Island

Central Maine Power recently completed its first grid reliability project of 2025: the installation of a new underwater cable connecting Raymond and Frye Island.

According to Dustin Wlodkowski, corporate communications manager at CMP, the purpose of the grid reliability projects is to strengthen the local power grid to prepare it for extreme storms and other events that could impact people’s service. Previous grid reliability projects have varied in scale, ranging from routine local-scale refurbishments to the NERC Alert initiative, a 2020 project which upgraded electrical infrastructure in 20 Maine communities to comply with National Electric Safety codes.

“This is really about making sure that people can always have their electricity delivered in a safe and reliable way, 24/7,” said Wlodkowski.

The main purpose behind installing the new cable was to supplement Frye Island’s existing cable, which was laid down in Sebago Lake more than 30 years ago. Due to the cable’s advanced age, Wlodkowski said that it was just a matter of time before it failed, and CMP decided that a new cable needed to be put into service ahead of that point so that customers on Frye Island would not lose power. Wlodkowski also noted that the new cable had a higher capacity than its predecessor, allowing it to bring more power to the island even after its predecessor is retired.

The project, which began during the third week of October, culminated on Friday, Jan. 24, with the installation of an automatic recloser near the Frye Island ferry dock. According to Wlodkowski, an automatic recloser is a device that would essentially divide the grid section by section, so that it could be operated remotely during extreme weather events. Comparing it to a device that would allow one to remotely direct power to all the rooms in the house except the one they want to do work in, he said that in the event of a blizzard-induced power outage, the automatic recloser would allow CMP’s Energy Control Center to isolate damaged sections of the grid so that work can be done to quickly restore power.

In a press release, Eric Sutton, CMP’s vice president of electric operations, said of the project, “In the face of more extreme weather, we’re making investments like these all over Maine, upgrading decades-old poles, wire and other infrastructure with stronger materials and smarter technology. Our pace doesn’t slow in cold weather either. We are continuously improving our grid for our customers and have numerous projects both kicking off and coming into service in 2025.”