Courtesy / Central Maine Power
Joseph Purington
August 26, 2021
Former Central Maine Power manager will return to company as CEO
Courtesy / Central Maine Power
Central Maine Power Co.’s new chief brings decades of previous experience at the company.
By Staff
The new president and CEO of Central Maine Power Co., the state’s largest electric utility, brings decades of previous experience with the company as well as top credentials with the New Hampshire operations of Eversource Energy (NYSE: ES).
Joseph Purington will assume the post in late September, according to a news release Wednesday.
He replaces Scott Mahoney, who served as interim president and CEO after the retirement, at the end of June, of Doug Herling. Herling had been with CMP for 36 years and head of the company since 2018.
Mahoney will transition back to his role as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of CMP’s parent company, Connecticut-based Avangrid Inc. (NYSE: AGR).
A Jay native, Purington earned an associate degree from Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute (now Southern Maine Community College) and a bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
He began his operations career at CMP in 1987, working for 28 years in a variety of roles, including director of distribution operations.
He then worked in an expanded role for Avangrid’s predecessor company, with responsibility for ensuring that energy control centers and substation operations met compliance and regulatory requirements.
In 2014 he joined Eversource New Hampshire and in January 2020 became president of New Hampshire operations for Eversource.
“I am eager to return to Maine as a proud CMP employee once more, and to lead the company as we strive to meet — and exceed — the needs of our customers every single day,” Purington said in the release. “While I will be returning to familiar territory and many familiar coworkers, we face new challenges in helping Maine realize its clean energy future, and I can’t wait to get started.”
David Flanagan, executive chairman for CMP, helped lead the search to fill the CEO role and will assume a senior advisory role with the company upon Purington’s appointment.
“Joe and I worked together during the ice storm of 1998 here in Maine and I trust his leadership and brilliant problem-solving abilities,” he said. “He is well-suited to lead CMP into a new era that demands more clean energy to support the electrification of our economy.”
Flanagan cited Purington’s previous experience with CMP’s infrastructure and operations as well as his experience leading a similarly sized utility in New England as reasons for his recruitment back to the company.
Purington steps into the role as the company deals with a number of issues. That includes controversy around CMP’s planned 145-mile electricity transmission corridor through the western part of the state, called New England Clean Energy Connect, which has been the subject of legal challenges and a citizens petition.
In related news, Flanagan, 74, said Wednesday he is battling pancreatic cancer, according to the Portland Press Herald. He served as CEO of CMP from 1994 to 2000, and returned last year to the company as executive chairman as it confronted public criticism over billing errors and service disruption.
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