The Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) has certified Black Bear Hydro’s 7.8MW Milford hydroelectric project on the Penobscot River in the US state of Maine as low impact.
The certification is valid for five years and is subject to certain obligations, including fish passage effectiveness studies, consideration of threatened mussel species, and developments of a canoe portage trail.
The Milford project is a run-of-river hydroelectric generating facility located in Old Town, Maine, with an original nameplate generating capacity of 6.4MW, plus a new 1.4MW addition. The Milford project commenced initial commercial operations in 1906.
The LIHI governing board unanimously voted to certify the project. To be certified as low impact, projects have to meet LIHI’s eight environmentally rigorous low impact criteria addressing river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection, watershed health, endangered species protection, cultural resources, recreation use and access.
Photo: The Milford Powerhouse (Source: LIHI)
