US FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
FERC Staff Issues Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Vernon Hydroelectric Project , Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project, and Wilder Hydroelectric Project

Docket Nos.  P-1904-078, P-1855-050, and P-1892-030

Commission staff prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental effects of relicensing the 32.4-megawatt (MW) Vernon Hydroelectric Project No. 1904 (Vernon Project), the 40.8-MW Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project No. 1855 (Bellows Falls Project), and the 35.6-MW Wilder Hydroelectric Project No. 1892 (Wilder Project) (collectively, the projects) on the Connecticut River in Orange, Windsor, and Windham counties, Vermont, and Sullivan, Cheshire, and Grafton counties, New Hampshire. 

On May 1, 2017, and materially amended on December 7, 2020, Great River Hydro, LLC filed applications for new major licenses with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) to continue to operate and maintain the projects.  Great River Hydro supplemented the applications with a settlement filed on August 4, 2022, and a revised relicensing proposal for the Bellows Falls Project on June 8, 2023.

The primary issues identified during the relicensing process are effects of project operations on:  (1) shoreline erosion along the Connecticut River; (2) water quantity, including how the volume of peaking flows and magnitude of water surface fluctuations in the Connecticut River affect aquatic habitat and recreation access; (3) fish passage; (4) protection of threatened and endangered species; and (5) protection of cultural resources.

In the Draft EIS, Commission staff recommends relicensing the projects under the Staff Alternative, which includes most of the applicants' proposed measures, as well as certain mandatory conditions and recommendations made by state and federal agencies and some staff-recommended modifications to further minimize project-related effects on shoreline erosion, aquatic and terrestrial resources, threatened and endangered species, recreation, and cultural resources.

The deadline to comment on the Draft EIS is July 29, 2025.