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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announces majorinvestment in Maine's electrical grid
$96 million stimulus grant will allow CMP toinstall "smart meters" for 600,000 customers

October 27, 2009
Contact: Willy Ritch 207-841-8400

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced this morning that a federal RecoveryAct grant of $96 million will be coming to Maine to help Central Maine Powerprovide "smart meters" for all 600,000 of its customers. Funding for the"Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project" will be matched by CMP, for a totalproject cost of nearly $200 million.

"These smart meters will help update Maine's electrical grid and give consumersmore control over their electrical bills," Pingree said. "Smart metersallow customers to see real time electrical consumption, and allow them tochange their electrical usage patterns to take advantage of new pricingprograms to lower their electric bills."

CMP plans to start installing the meters early next year. All the newmeters should be installed by mid 2012. The meters could allow "dynamicpricing" in which electrical rates are adjusted based on overall system demandand will give consumers increased flexibility in choosing electrical suppliersand pricing programs.

"The meters that we have on our houses today were invented early in the lastcentury," Pingree said. "Smart meters are going to bring the Maine energyconsumer into the 21st century. Creating a "smart grid" in Maine will putour state in an even better position to develop new sources of clean energy."

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