Turners Falls P-1889

General information
Waterway	Connecticut River
Current status	Active license
Type of facility	Conventional Hydro
Mode of hydropower generation	Run-of-river
Type of permit	FERC License
FERC information
FERC docket #	P-1889
FERC project name	Turners Falls
Other projects with this FERC number	Cabot P-1889
Permit issued	4/30/80
Permit expiration	4/26/18
Ownership and operation
Owner	FirstLight Power Resources Services LLC
Owner type	Wholesale Power Marketer
Year first online (conventional hydro)	1905
Transmission or distribution system owner	Western Massachusetts Electric Company
Power and generating capacity
Number of units	5
Total capacity from hydraulic turbine-generator units within each plant	5.7 MW
Average annual net hydropower generation	19,113.5 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.

The main Turners Falls Dam is a diversion dam, sending water through the canal to Station 1 and to Cabot Station. The generation capacity indicated on this project page is for Station 1.

This project is currently operating on annual licenses. The new license is anticipated to be issued in 2026 or 2027.

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