Case Details

- Case Details:

Case Number:

2018-00340

Case Status:

Closed

Utility/Industry Type :

Electric

Utility/Industry Subtype :

Transmission and Distribution Utilities (T and Ds)

Case Type :

COMPLAINT

Case Subtype :

10 PERSON COMPLAINT

Pertaining to Utility/Company :

CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY

Case Title :

10 PERSON COMPLAINT CONCERNING POWER OUTAGES IN JACKMAN AREA 2013-2018 PERTAINING TO CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY.

Initiating Filer :

Sawyer, Darien

Case Start Date :

12/13/2018

Assigned Staff :

Derek.D.Davidson,
Faith.Huntington,
LYNN.A.FORTIN,
Michael.Simmons,
Mitchell.Tannenbaum

View Case References

Filings (24) Data Requests (1)Public Comments (21) Active Party and Notification List (4) Assigned Staff (5)

Item No.	Date Filed	Description Of Filing	Filing Party	Filed By	No of Attachments	Deleted Filings
24	2/28/2019	ORDER OPENING INVESTIGATION (2018-00340)	COMMISSION, MPUC	COMMISSION, MPUC	1
23	2/19/2019	CMP response (2018-00340)	Sawyer, Darien	Sawyer, Darien	1
22	2/19/2019	CMP Comments on Recommended Decision (2018-00340)	CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY	Regulatory Administration, Debra Mills	2
21	2/19/2019	Comments of the OPA (2018-00340)	OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE	PUBLIC ADVOCATE, OFFICE OF THE	1
20	2/7/2019	PROCEDURAL ORDER (2018-00340)	COMMISSION STAFF, CMS	COMMISSION STAFF, CMS	1
19	2/7/2019	Data Request Harris vs Wyman (2018-00340)	Sawyer, Darien	Sawyer, Darien	1
18	2/4/2019	Data Request CMP long term service plan (2018-00340)	Sawyer, Darien	Sawyer, Darien	1
17	2/1/2019	Response to PUC Recommended Decision (2018-00340)	Sawyer, Darien	Sawyer, Darien	1
16	1/29/2019	Recommended Decision (Comments Due February 8, 2019) (2018-00340)	COMMISSION STAFF, CMS	COMMISSION STAFF, CMS	1
15	1/29/2019	Response to EXM-001-011 (2018-00340)	Sawyer, Darien	Sawyer, Darien	1

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DR Set ID	Set Description	Issue Date	No. of DR Questions	Propounded Upon	View Questions in Set	View Cover Letter/Instructions	Print
EXM-001	EXM-001	1/10/2019	13	CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY	View Questions

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Posted By	Posted Date	Comments	Attachment(s)
Lauren M Loomis Kittery ME Email ID: sunatmidnght@gmail.com	2/19/2019	To the Commissioners of the Maine Public Utility Commission and Interested Parties, I would like to suggest combining Caratunk 2019-00011, Jackman 2018-00340, and Dover Foxcroft 2018-00330 10 person complaints concerning power outages pertaining to Central Maine Power into one for a full investigation. As an Admin for the CMP Ratepayers Unite group we have seen many complaints about recurring power outages in those communities and frankly many other communities across Maine. Since the October 2017 windstorm in my own town of Kittery, ME I had experienced 4 power outages in less than a 6 month period. Outages lasting for more than 4 hours. 3 of those outages I would lose my cell service. After speaking with T-Mobile in March of 2018 they informed me their equipment wasn't reported damaged by my utility and will send out a tech to repair it. Once I lost power for the 4th outage my cell service wasn't affected anymore. Only one phone call was all it took to improve my service. These communities have made multiple phone calls for years asking for their service to be up to standards that are expected from CMP. Since CMP have improved their tree trimming services I am seeing a huge difference in the clearance around the lines and trees that I haven't seen in years. The crew has been out every day for a few weeks now. Before I would barely see them around town and very little would be done. Why these towns have had so many power outages for so many years needs to be investigated. CMP has 9k transformers that they do not know their locations of. If they were maintaining and inspecting their lines as they are supposed to they should know where these are located. I would suggest a full investigation into their reliability and the MPRP considering the outages have increased since 2015 for many Maine towns. But investigating into Caratunk, Jackman, and Dover-Foxcroft should be top priority right now and fully investigated. Thank you, Lauren Loomis
Lawrence ONeill 716 Long Pond Rd Long Pond Twnsp,Me 04945 Email ID: larryoneill88@yahoo.com	2/7/2019	I live in Long Pond Township which is the next town east of Jackman.Had I known about the filing of this complaint I would have asked that Long Pond be included.Anytime there is a power outage in Jackman there is one in Long Pond.Being elderly,my wife and I had to invest a large sum of money in a generator to insure we had heat in the winter in the event of an outage.If you drive down Main St in Jackman you will see that every business has a standby generator due to the frequentcy and duration of power outages.In recent years the outages appear to be more frequent and last longer.Even minor thunder or wind storms cause outages.
Darien Sawyer 276 Long Pond Rd Jackman, ME04945 Email ID:dekesawyer@hotmail.com Phone No. :207-668-6171	1/29/2019	At Seth Berry's press conference on 1/28/19 Dick Rogers, Business Manager, IBEW #1837 (representing 1600 members) and CMP employee for 38 years, made the following statement. "My members have struggled for the past several years with not enough help. Ok? Back office help. This isn't just about line workers or your field people. This is people in the office. We struggle to get the work done. The recent billing issues have been a real problem. My members have seen it. We've brought it to the company's attention. We need these problems addressed. Not enough linemen is certainly is a problem. You know? My guys are working one weekend after another. They are being forced onto duties cuz we just don't have enough people. So it's a real struggle for our guys." CMP has used layoffs and attrition to boost stockholder yields for years. This is one of the contributing factors in our many lengthy outages! Rev Darien (Deke) Sawyer
Heidi Grindahl 140 Coburn Ave W Jackman, ME 04945	1/18/2019	My husband and I have lived in Jackman for nearly ten years, and it seems that each year the outages are more frequent and last longer. We bought a generator because our heating system requires electricity to run. Four years ago we bought a gas stove because we knew we needed to be able to cook for our family even when the power is out. I worry about our neighbors who don't have generators and don't have a way to keep the fridge running or the freezer cold. Sure, the people can get in the car and warm up or drive to the school (which is our emergency shelter) but their pipes will freeze and they will lose their frozen foods. An outage here and there for an hour or two is no big deal, but we are talking days, or at best, several hours. When it is bitter cold, our generator doesn't like to start, even for my husband. I definitely cannot do it myself, and I have four young children. That concerns me. Every time the lights flicker, I have a mini panic as I realize it may be a second or it may be days. I can't even call for help if we lose the cell tower, because we don't have a landline. The brownouts are terrible. We had one last year the blew our microwave, and our air circulation system. That was an expensive outage for us, and of course CMP won't pay for anything. This area is remote, but we have quite a decent-sized town. We don't have many options for electricity-we have to rely on CMP. We seem to be at the bottom of the priority list. Thank you Heidi Grindahl
Leon Gilbert None 183 Long Pond Road Jackman, Maine 04945 Email ID: holeb1@myfairpoint.net Phone No.: 207-668-7665	1/13/2019	I have lived in the Jackman area all my life. I am retired now and find that the power outages are more frequent and sometimes last for MANY hours at a time. In the last ten years, I believe the power is going out more and more often. I am very fortunate to own a generator. There are older individuals here on the Long Pond Road who are probably cold at times because they are not able to own a generator. I was lucky a few years ago to help an older couple, someone told me that I could use their generator and help this family. It was difficult for my wife and I to get to the generator but we finally got it out. I am very concerned about what could happen to someone with health issues who do not have a generator.
Kerry Hegarty 15 Gilbert Street Jackman, ME 04945 Email ID: kerryamy83@yahoo.com Phone No.: 207-668-7732	1/13/2019	CMP could easily hire contractors to cut trees. There is no excuse for why they don't. The reason they don't is because if we don't have so many outages, the union will lose jobs eventually.
Megan Na 573 Long Pond Rd.	1/4/2019	I've just moved to Jackman (June 2017) but I've been really disappointed at how often we lose power and the length of the power outages. The remoteness of Jackman and the surrounding area makes it so that a lot of people are vulnerable to cold temperatures inclement weather when power is out. Jackman and the surrounding area should be a priority rather than an afterthought, which is what it feels like now. I really feel that CMP should look into the matter and what they can do to better serve the community. The customers will support you if you properly serve them.
Chester Gilbert 101 Marston St West Jackman ME 04945 Email ID: chestergilbert73@yahoo.com Phone No.: 207-612-8054	1/4/2019	I am very dissatisfied with the service I receive from CMP. I have a pellet stove and when the weather is bad I have to shut it off because it is almost guaranteed that we will lose power. When I do lose power with the stove on the house gets smoke in it. I have also had to replace furnace parts because of brown outs. The fix is easy, cut the trees on the side of 201, but it is never done. I also do not trust the smart meter I was forced into getting.
Lora Beth Stevens 577 MAIN ST JACKMAN, ME 04945 Email ID: WINKY1544@AOL.COM Phone No.: 207-668-4002	1/3/2019	Dear Sirs, Power Outages in Jackman have been occurring more and more. This is a hardship for me. I am disabled and use a breathing apparatus that depends on electricity. I am also confined to an electrical lift up recliner. When power goes out I cannot get out of the recliner and into my wheelchair. I am not strong enough. My recliner does not have a battery back up. This is extremely bad. My anxiety level goes thru the roof and my heart starts going into A-FIB (irregular heartbeats). I have no way of getting to the restroom. It is very strenuous for me to walk the few steps from the recliner to the wheelchair. It is impossible for me to do so in the dark, as I have trouble walking and can't chance the fall. I do not have a mobile phone which works when power is out. Should something happen to me, I have no way of calling for help or calling 911. We no longer have an ER after business hours in Jackman. It is extremely important that I be able to see to move safely in my home, so I don't need to utilize the ER or 911. Should paramedics need to come to my home, it's pitch black. It's hard for them to carry me out or help me up while holding a flashlight! My husband works 12 hour shifts, and is usually at work nights when power goes out. Should it go out during the day, which it also does quite often, I have no way of waking my husband on the 2nd level of our house. He's sleeping so doesn't know power is out and I need help out of the recliner a floor below. Rather than supplying electric to another state, I would appreciate it if my area in Maine could be fixed, looked into and made priotity. Power outages are more and more frequent since I moved to Jackman in 2001 from Missouri. Outages are also longer periods of time. Last year it was out 3 days in the whole state. Focus should be made on keeping them at a minimum, and when one occurs, fixing in a timely manner. Sending help to other States at this point is ridiculous. We need help!
Kerry Hegarty 15 Gilbert Street Jackman, ME 04945 Email ID: kerryamy83@yahoo.com Phone No.: 207-668-7732	1/1/2019	CMP doesn't cut anywhere near enough line threatening trees, wanting them to go on the lines to preserve the current amount of union line workers that they have. Less outages means less union line workers in the future. I have two job security trees on my land. One tall fir has half of its roots off the ground. It will uproot and push another one that is leaning towards the lines. They will both go on the lines. I personally told a lineman about it 6 days ago. He said he would look at it. CMP has been told in the past that they are free to cut any tree that they do not want to cut on my land. I could tie it back with a come along and cut it but with CMP'S bucket truck, it wouldn't hit my nearby buildings or service line. I have enclosed pictures. Kerry	B0FEFBEE-5647-4562-AE4D-D005BF6DFDE3.jpeg AC358197-50EB-4B3A-85CA-60E1B422E3C9.jpeg 0F2B65BD-D19C-4CA9-A4CA-CA6D9C55B1D3.jpeg 7646BEB8-40C2-4160-9716-DF765872A64F.jpeg

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Notification List Active Party List

Name of Person/Company	Representing Company	Mailing Address	Email/Phone/Fax
Frawley, Erin D	CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY	83 Edison Drive Augusta ME 04336	Email ID: erin.frawley@cmpco.com Phone Ph: 207-621-3866 Fax: Fax: 207-621-4714
Regulatory Administration, Debra Mills	CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY	83 Edison Drive Augusta ME 04336	Email ID: CMPRegAdmin@avangrid.com Phone Ph: 207-242-8438 Fax: Fax: 207-621-4714
Sawyer, Darien	DARIEN SAWYER, ET AL	276 Long Pond Rd Jackman ME 04945	Email ID: dekesawyer@hotmail.com Phone Ph: 207-668-6171 Fax:
Sawyer, Darien	DARIEN SAWYER, ET AL	276 Long Pond Road Jackman ME 04945	Email ID: dekesawyer@hotmail.com Phone Ph: 207-668-7705 Fax:

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Staff Name	Role
Davidson, Derek	Staff Analyst
FORTIN, ETHELYN	Support Staff
Huntington, Faith	Staff Analyst
Simmons, Michael	Staff Analyst
Tannenbaum, Mitchell	Reviewer

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