Maine's electrical grid gets a $65M boost to prepare for clean energy

Versant safety inspection workers at a site.

Photo / Courtesy, Versant Power A $65 million federal grant will be used to enhance Maine's electrical grid. Shown here are Versant Power employees inspecting a substation in Veazie in 2023.

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By Renee Cordes

Maine will receive $65 million in federal money to help prepare the electrical grid for more power from clean energy sources.

The grant, announced Friday, will fund a project to be undertaken by the Governor’s Energy Office in collaboration with Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power.

The project, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, will deploy cutting-edge software and hardware to boost grid stability, regulate voltage and boost transmission capacity on existing lines, according to a news release.

“In order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and embrace clean energy, we must make sure that Maine has a strong electrical grid that can accept power from multiple sources and deliver it efficiently and reliably to Maine people and businesses,” said Gov. Janet Mills.

“We want to build the grid of the future, and programs like this — with federal support — are moving us in that direction,” she added.

Fighting climate threats

In a joint statement, members of Maine’s congressional delegation noted that recent storms and extreme weather across the state have reinforced the need to take steps to preserve energy and grid resilience.

“This $65 million grant from the Department of Energy is a major step forward in ensuring our communities have the tools and resources to protect themselves from threats of dangerous weather and climate change,” the four elected officials said.

Through the project, CMP and Versant will deploy software and hardware technologies to help enhance grid planning and operational capabilities.

"Our ability to connect more clean, affordable energy to Maine’s power grid is critical to meeting the state’s climate goals,” said Pedro Azagra, CEO of CMP's parent company, Connecticut-based Avangrid Inc. (NYSE: AGR). “Over the past year, CMP and Avangrid have received nearly a half billion dollars in federal awards that will directly benefit our customers.

John Flynn, president of Versant Power, said that the federal grant "will directly offset costs to Maine customers for necessary investments for a modern grid."

The funding will also be used to help create and expand clean energy job training and job placement, in line with the governor’s goal of creating 30,000 clean energy jobs by 2030.

The federal money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act passed in 2021.