Northfield Mountain P-2485

General information
Waterway	Connecticut River
Current status	Active license
Type of facility	Pumped Storage
Mode of hydropower generation	Peaking
Type of permit	FERC License
FERC information
FERC docket #	P-2485
FERC project name	Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage
Permit issued	5/9/68
Permit expiration	4/26/18
Ownership and operation
Owner	FirstLight Power Resources Services LLC
Owner type	Wholesale Power Marketer
Year first online (pumped storage)	1972
Transmission or distribution system owner	Western Massachusetts Electric Company
Power and generating capacity
Number of units	4
Total capacity from pumped storage turbine-generator units	1,168.0 MW
Pumped storage gross generation in megawatt hours for each powerplant	940,062.1 MWH

A partial settlement agreement was signed on March 31, 2023 that provides important fish and wildlife protections at the Turners Falls (p-1889) and Northfield Mountain (p-2485) projects, including improved fish passage, more naturalized flow, improved habitat, and two mitigation funds. Signatories included HRC members Appalachian Mountain Club, American Whitewater, and New England FLOW, as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, Crab Apple Whitewater, Zoar Outdoor, and licensee First Light Power. Read the press release from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Read the agreement here.

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