CENTRAL MAINE • January 10, 2026
Those opposed to the planned sale of four Kennebec River hydroelectric dams to a conservation group that intends to decommission or remove them are doubling down, as initial steps to facilitate the transaction have begun to play out in regulatory filings. A slew of businesses, interest groups, elected officials and area residents registered their opposition in recent weeks. Their comments came in response to Brookfield Renewable’s request to transfer federal licenses for three of the four dams to new holding companies in preparation for their sale to The Nature Conservancy. They joined lawyers for Sappi North America, the paper company that runs the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, who accused Brookfield and The Nature Conservancy of trying to bypass regulatory measures in an attempt to quickly close their deal.