Commonwealth Hydropower

The Challenge: Maximize the Output of Small Hydropower

Massachusetts has numerous small hydropower facilities dating from the Industrial Revolution through the twentieth century. Many can benefit from modernization to extract more energy while minimizing adverse environmental impacts on their host waterways. Water and wastewater conduits also represent an opportunity to capture energy from water. Commonwealth Hydropower seeks to maximize these opportunities to generate local clean energy. 

About Commonwealth Hydropower

Commonwealth Hydropower is designed to cost-effectively increase the energy output of MA RPS-qualified hydropower through upgrades to existing facilities or the construction of new “conduit” facilities. Upgrades may increase installed capacity or improve the efficiency of the facility.

The Commonwealth Hydropower program provides $300,000 in grant funding for feasibility studies and construction projects. Grant size is determined in part by the incremental energy production that the proposed upgrades will enable, as modeled using MassCEC’s methodology. Successful applicants will propose projects that provide economic benefits to Massachusetts’ entities or workers.