CENTRAL MAINE • September 23, 2025
The Nature Conservancy has announced plans to buy four Kennebec River dams from Brookfield Renewable Energy in a move that could reshape the ecology and economy of one of the state’s largest watersheds. The environmental group and international energy heavyweight announced Tuesday they signed sale agreement Sept. 15, totaling $168 million. The Nature Conservancy has already raised $138 million for the sale and plans to collect the remaining funds to close the sale within the next 10 to 12 months. The Nature Conservancy plans to form a nonprofit, the Kennebec River Restoration Trust, to administer the dams and oversee their decommissioning and removal over the next several years, in partnership with local leaders. TNC plans to restore the Kennebec River to its pre-dam state.