Avangrid Accelerates Utility Pole Replacement to Strengthen Northeast Grid in 2025

Avangrid’s utility subsidiaries in New York, Maine, and Connecticut have replaced more than 24,000 utility poles so far in 2025, part of a broader effort to harden local distribution systems and improve reliability for approximately 3.4 million customers across the Northeast.

The pole replacement programs span four utilities: New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), Central Maine Power (CMP), and United Illuminating (UI). Much of the region’s infrastructure dates back decades, making it more vulnerable to storm damage and service interruptions.

Grid Modernization and Inspection Efforts

In New York, NYSEG and RG&E report replacing roughly 14,000 poles so far this year, with a goal of reaching 20,000 by year’s end. The companies collectively manage more than one million poles across upstate New York, which are inspected on a five-year cycle using both visual assessments and stray voltage testing.

A separate program has examined 57,000 additional poles this year, using excavation and core drilling to check for rot, voids, and structural integrity. The scope of future work depends on approval of the utilities’ Powering New York rate proposal, currently under review by the New York State Department of Public Service. That filing includes plans for infrastructure modernization, reliability improvements, and compliance with new state standards for poles that also support broadband expansion.

In Maine, CMP has replaced about 9,500 poles in 2025 and expects to exceed 11,000 replacements by year’s end. The company plans to inspect approximately 144,000 poles this year as part of its maintenance cycle. CMP’s future system investment priorities are outlined in its Investing in Maine’s Future plan, which was filed with state regulators in September.

Connecticut-based United Illuminating has replaced about 500 poles this year, with another 200 expected before the end of 2025.