Federal regulators to hold hearings on Kennebec dams

MAINE PUBLIC • May 20, 2024

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold two public hearings this week on the relicensing of four dams along the Kennebec River: the Lockwood Dam and Hydro Kennebec Dam in Waterville, Shawmut Dam in Fairfield and the Weston Dam in Skowhegan. In March, a draft environmental impact statement from agency staff recommended the relicensing, with conditions for turbine shutdowns and new fish lifts, to protect migrating fish species. But Nick Bennett with the Natural Resources Council of Maine said the proposals do not do enough to protect fish.