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Metheun Falls Hydroelectric files final FERC license application for 357 kW Metheun Falls

Metheun Falls Hydroelectric files final FERC license application for 357 kW Metheun Falls

Metheun Falls Hydroelectric Co. has filed its final license application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for continued operation of the 357 kW Metheun Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-8093) in Massachusetts.

The current operating license for the project, on the Spicket River in Essex County, was issued in March 1986 and will expire on Feb. 28, 2026.

The application said the existing project facilities will be reused with no major changes anticipated and consist of:

  • 20 ft high, 188 ft long masonry dam;
  • Reservoir with a surface area of about 2.9 acres, a storage capacity of about 20 acre‐feet, and a normal water surface of 104.3 ft‐msl;
  • 150 ft long subsurface canal and a 120 ft long, 25 foot diameter penstock;
  • Powerhouse containing two generating units with a total capacity of 357 kW;
  • 20 ft long, 2 ft deep tailrace;
  • Associated electric controls equipment;
  • About 250 ft long transmission line; and
  • Appurtenant facilities

Average annual generation from the project is 1,000 MWh.