Comments Submitted for Draft Environmental Impact Statements in Hydropower Relicensing

Bellows Falls dam. Photo by Alix Kaplan.

On Thursday, August 28th, CRC submitted our comments on the two separate Draft Environmental Impact Statements (DEIS) for the five hydropower facilities on the Connecticut River that are currently undergoing relicensing. This marks a milestone for one of the final actions in this thirteen-year relicensing process. It has been daunting at times, but we have witnessed numerous important wins over the years - many of which were reflected in this final draft Environmental Impact Statement.  

The Environmental Impact Statement is the last major step in the hydropower relicensing process. CRC and many others reviewed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) analysis of Great River Hydro and FirstLight's proposals for relicensing the Wilder (P-1892), Bellows Falls (P-1855), Vernon (P-1904), Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage (P-2485), and Turners Falls (P-1889) projects. FERC will consider comments provided and issue a final Environmental Impact Statement sometime after December of 2025.

CRC would like to express our gratitude for the many community members, municipalities, and partner organizations that have continued to participate in this relicensing process over the years. Over 60 parties submitted comments on all five projects! 

You can read all of the comments by searching the FERC library here.

Docket numbers are:

• P-1855 - Bellows Falls

• P-1892 - Wilder

• P-1904 - Vernon

• P-2485 - Northfield Mountain

• P-1889 - Turner's Falls

Below are links to our comments and and a few from partners that we would like to highlight:

• CRC comments on Great River Hydro projects

• CRC comments on FirstLight projects 

Great River Hydro projects in VT/NH:

• Comments of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal

• Comments of State of Vermont Senator Wendy K Harrison

• Comments of Vermont Center for Ecostudies 

• Comments of Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee

• Comments of Connecticut River Joint Commissions 

• Comments of the Windham Regional Commission

• Comments of the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission

FirstLight Projects in MA:

• Comments of professors at University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Comments of The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

• Comments of Western Mass Rights of Nature

• Comments of Franklin Regional Council of Governments

• Comments of The Nolumbeka Project Tribal Coalition

• Comments of United States Senators Markey, McGovern, and Warren

• Comments of Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee

CRC's next course of action is to follow the process initiated by our appeals of the Water Quality Certifications issued by Vermont and New Hampshire, and Massachusetts as part of the hydropower relicensing process. We will not stop until we secure the best possible outcome for the Connecticut River and the habitats and people that rely on this vital natural resource. You can support this effort by making a contribution to the Connecticut River Advocacy Fund here. Wins in this court process will result in specific requirements that are written into the federal licenses impacting 175 miles of the river.