Workers install solar panels at a farm in Sabattus on May 26, 2023. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Maine is set to receive more than $65 million from Washington for “smart grid” technology to more quickly connect solar panels and wind turbines to the electricity systems of Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power and boost renewable power generation.

The Governor’s Energy Office said the collaboration between Maine, CMP and Versant is the first of its kind in the state and will involve adapting software and hardware to improve grid stability, regulate voltage and increase transmission capacity on power lines.

“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,” Gov. Janet Mills said.

It’s part of $2 billion in grants announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Energy for 32 projects in 42 states and Washington, D.C., to improve the resilience of electricity grids. The industry and federal government are looking to harden the grid as energy demand rises, “straining our outdated grid infrastructure” and cope with increasingly frequent and damaging storms that threaten electricity delivery systems, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on a conference call.

The projects will deploy new transmission and distribution infrastructure and technology upgrades to enable over 7.5 gigawatts of grid capacity, the Department of Energy said.

CMP, which serves about 653,000 customers in central and southern Maine, and Versant, with more than 160,000 customers in northern Maine, will use computer software and hardware to re-route power to avoid problems such as over-voltage or congestion at solar and wind farm electrical systems. It’s also expected to help reduce delays in connecting power from renewable energy sources to the grid that has led to frequent complaints about bottlenecks due to lengthy grid studies and reviews of projects proposing solar and wind power connections to Maine’s electricity grids.

Where the technology is deployed, it will help connect more renewable energy to the power grid while protecting the grid from overloading, the Governor’s Energy Office said. It also will more flexibly manage intermittent sources of power such as wind and solar with better voltage control.

Federal officials say the project anticipates significantly reducing costs of managing electricity generated by solar and wind farms by avoiding infrastructure upgrades, connecting solar and wind resources to the grid more quickly and increasing the amount of renewable energy on the grid.

The projects announced Thursday will upgrade more than 950 miles of transmission by building 300 miles of transmission lines and reconductoring — replacing power lines with advanced conductors — and adding grid-enhancing technologies to more than 650 miles of transmission lines to increase capacity.

The Department of Energy said the project in Maine is expected to create and support nearly 200 jobs and support at least 225 training or pre-apprenticeships and 270 paid apprenticeships.

Versant’s largely rural service territory has been a boon for solar farms. In May, solar energy provided all the electricity needed to power a service area of more than 11,000 customers in northern Maine for a few hours.

CMP last year received a $30 million federal grant to strengthen electric grid resilience and reliability, accelerating its use of smart grid technology to help reduce the frequency and impact of power outages following storms. The funding was to pay for 300 automated devices to be installed on roadside poles and wires.

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