BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. (AP) - The owner of hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River is proposing a major change to the way the dams operate in its relicensing application in response to environmental concerns.
Great River Hydro LLC is proposing to operate the dams to allow the river to run more continuously after years of negotiations with environmental groups, the Brattleboro Reformer reported on Monday.
The company, which is based in North Walpole, New Hampshire, submitted the plan as part of its request to renew its licenses to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last month, the newspaper reported.
The company bought the Bellows Falls hydro station, the Vernon hydroelectric station and the Wilder station, in the town of Hartford, from TransCanada in 2017. TransCanada had first applied for relicensing in 2012, the newspaper reported.
“Proposed operations would provide environmental protection through an ‘inflow equals outflow’ operation the majority of the time and discretionary generation for a limited number of hours each month,” said Matthew Cole of Great River Hydro.
Kathy Urffer, a river steward with the Connecticut River Conservancy, which has been one of the groups speaking with Great River, told the newspaper the plan was a win for the river. She explained the license as “a contract with the public” in exchange for the company’s use of the river and urged residents to raise concerns at public hearings that are expected later this year.
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