Hydropower Facilities In Re-Licensing Process

By KENNEDY GRIFFIN

(Northfield, MA) Hydroelectricity facilities in Northfield and Turners Falls are in the process of re-licensing and a local environmental group is taking issue. The facilities are owned by FirstLight Power who claims they have an Agreement in Principle (AIP) with local stakeholder organizations on issues such as recreation, whitewater releases, flows, and fish passage. 

While the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) supports some of the changes proposed in the AIP, they oppose elements related to river flow and fish migration. They believe that “the timeframes given to FirstLight Power to install fish passage projects and a barrier net at Northfield Mountain are lengthy and unnecessary,” said Andrew Fisk, Executive Director of the CRC. 

Currently at the Turners Falls facility, there are 3 fish passages operated by the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Commission that are inadequately transporting fish according the CRC. The Northfield site has no protection system in place to keep fish from being killed by the turbines. 

Including the Turners Falls and Northfield sites, five Massachusetts hydro facilities on the Connecticut River applied for new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses in December of 2020. The licenses are required to operate hydropower stations (also called FERC projects). The new operating licenses can last between 30 and 50 years.