PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 24, 2025
While the Nature Conservancy and Brookfield Renewable Energy agreed to a sale earlier this month, it’s not expected to be finalized for 10 to 12 months. The Nature Conservancy still needs to raise about $30 million to fund the purchase price, transaction fees and the establishment of a new nonprofit, the Kennebec River Restoration Trust, to administer the decommissioning and removal of the four dams. The Nature Conservancy is buying the four dams to decommission and remove them, with the aim of restoring those sea-running fish populations. The Nature Conservancy said it was “100% committed to developing a solution with Sappi that fully addresses the Somerset Mill’s long-term water system needs,” and that any dam removal scenario would protect the mill’s future. A day after The Nature Conservancy’s announcement, much remains unclear about the sale and its wide-reaching impacts.