For nearly 10 years Vermont officials, Morrisville Water and Light and environmental advocates have debated the fate of the Green River Reservoir dam. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced that an agreement has finally been reached.
Morrisville Water and Light is a small utility and had said it could no longer afford to operate the dam. It planned to give up its license and stop generating electricity. But that would have had a significant impact on its ratepayers, so an alternative was considered to hand over ownership to the state. But Scott, a Republican, said the state also could not afford to take over operations and that removing the dam was not feasible financially.
Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore says the state, utility and environmental groups have now come to an agreement.
“We have a path forward that allows us to make important environmental improvements and will allow us also some time to continue to dig further into whether the Green River facility can be operated in a way that meets water quality standards.”
The Green River Dam is one of the largest in the state. The concrete arch structure stretches about 360 feet wide and 105 feet tall and forms the Green River Reservoir.
