BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 9, 2024
The existence of hydroelectric dams on Maine’s waterways has been a hot-button issue between the businesses that own them and environmentalists for decades. Hydropower operations harness the water’s energy to produce electricity. Environmental groups say the dams do more harm than good and are killing some of the state’s native species, such as Atlantic salmon. The owners of four dams on the Kennebec River are proposing changes they say will make it easier for fish to reach their spawning grounds. But the Natural Resources Council of Maine says those measures are not enough. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released an environmental impact statement at the end of March and the public may comment until the June 4 deadline.