Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
42m ago

Maryland, Constellation Strike $340 Million Conowingo Dam Deal Tied to Relicensing

Enforceable funding commitments will be paired with a revised water-quality certification to advance federal relicensing.

FILE - Water gushes down the Conowingo Dam, Nov. 6, 2019, in Havre De Grace, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Governor Wes Moore, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, left, and Constellation CEO Joe Dominiguez and others announce a $340 million deal with Constellation Energy to help sustain the long-term health of the Chesapeake Bay and to preserve the Conowingo Dam for another 50 years. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Image
Image

Overview

  • Maryland, Constellation Energy, Waterkeepers Chesapeake and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association agreed to a settlement directing more than $340 million to water-quality and habitat projects.
  • The plan allocates $87.6 million for pollution reduction and resiliency initiatives and $77.8 million to expand trash and debris removal efforts that have averaged about 600 tons cleared annually.
  • Targeted investments include more than $28 million for fish and eel passage, $23.3 million for a freshwater mussel hatchery, $18.7 million for dredging studies and related work, and $9.4 million for invasive species management.
  • The agreement clears a path to renew the dam’s federal license for continued hydropower generation, with a revised Section 401 certification to be filed and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval still required.
  • The deal resolves years of litigation, including a 2019 settlement and a 2022 appeals-court vacatur, and it requires Constellation to cover the costs rather than taxpayers.