Owner Of Kennebec River Dams Sues State Over Proposed Changes That Could Lead To Their Removal

MAINE PUBLIC • April 1, 2021

The owner of four dams along the Kennebec River is suing Maine's Department of Marine Resources over proposed changes that could lead to the dams being removed. The lawsuit, from a U.S. Subsidiary of Brookfield Renewable, is challenging a proposed amendment to the state's river management plan, which recommends the removal of two dams — and a study of the proposed removal of two other dams — from Waterville to Skowhegan. But Miranda Kessel, with Brookfield Renewable, says the DMR doesn't have the authority to make those changes and didn't seek adequate input from other entities.