Editor’s note: This commentary is by Heather Furman, who is the Vermont state director for The Nature Conservancy.
[H]ydropower has a long history on the Connecticut River. It jump-started the colonial economy, powered the Industrial Revolution, and continues to supply energy for homes and businesses today. Yet the growth and prosperity provided generously by the river has not come without a price. Dams and altered river flows have caused fisheries, floodplain forests, and much of the connected river ecosystem to diminish, a story dramatized by the Atlantic salmon, which completely vanished from the river by as early as 1814.
In spite of well-documented impacts, hydropower is still considered by many to be an important component of our global energy future. And because it is relatively inexpensive, nearly always available, and usually carbon-neutral, it will likely continue to be one of the many ways we keep our lights on.
Across the globe, the Nature Conservancy is working to find innovative solutions to balance the many values and uses of river systems, including both ecosystem and energy needs. The Connecticut River is no exception.
But the story of hydropower on the Connecticut River is not a story of resignation, but of opportunity. Across the globe, the Nature Conservancy is working to find innovative solutions to balance the many values and uses of river systems, including both ecosystem and energy needs. The Connecticut River is no exception.
Since 2012, the Conservancy and its partners – state and federal agencies, other nonprofit groups, individual stakeholders, and hydropower companies – have been engaged in a process to renew the operating licenses of five hydropower projects on the Connecticut River. When these facilities were last licensed 30-50 years ago, ecological impacts were not carefully considered in the decision-making. In the time since, advancements in science and management have provided us the means to find and implement solutions that balance energy production with other river values including a healthy river ecosystem.
Dam owners may change, but because of legislative mandates, relicensing will proceed regardless of who is sitting at the table. The Nature Conservancy is committed to keeping its seat, so that we can continue to work with our partners to ensure that the future of hydropower on the Connecticut River supports a healthy river system for the benefit of fish, wildlife, people, communities, and all river users.
