MAINE, USA — An independent audit of the management structure at Maine’s largest power provider has found the organization faces challenges but is likely equipped to overcome them.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission ordered the review of Central Maine Power’s management in January 2020. The order followed an investigation of the utility’s rates. Liberty Consulting Group of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, performed the audit of CMP, which is a subsidiary of Connecticut-based Avangrid. Liberty released its audit on Monday and found that Avangrid is not “a fundamentally or irredeemably flawed operation.”
"In summary, we believe circumstances like these, which form foundations of the structure in which CMP has operated and how Avangrid and Iberdrola S.A. have provided for its management, did have negative implications for Maine customers," the summary said.
“This independent report recognizes that CMP is on the right path to overcome the organizational challenges that impacted our service to customers in the past,” said David Flanagan, Executive Chairman for CMP said in a press release. “We take full responsibility for the mismanagement of our Smartcare system roll out in 2017 which resulted in an unacceptable service experience for many customers. We have made steady improvements in our service and reliability, and we are entirely committed to ensuring our customers’ expectations are met, and even exceeded, and that power is delivered affordably, safely and reliably while we invest in the grid to accommodate new renewable energy sources.”
“The Commission ordered this audit to address concerns about whether there are fundamental problems with the company’s management structure that have led to the erosion of service quality experienced by customers,” Chairman Philip L. Bartlett II said in a press release. “We are seeking comments from the public and interested parties on the report and will determine appropriate next steps, which could include a formal proceeding, once we have more fully reviewed the report and any comments filed.”
Read the full report below.