Society depends on energy.
And, we’ve come to expect that it’s always there when we need it. Time has changed how New Englanders are using energy and how we want our energy produced. Our region is moving toward a carbon-conscious energy supply as a result. The greatest challenge: maintaining the reliability users demand while relying more heavily on variable solar and wind generation. Great River Hydro’s large scale, resilient fleet is 100% renewable and carbon-free, and can be called into action at a moment’s notice to the grid’s constantly changing needs. These unique characteristics are vital as the region adopts more aggressive climate goals.
UNDERSTANDING ‘GOOD’ POWER
Good for
People & Environment
Reducing carbon emissions means a cleaner environment and healthier communities. However, every generation source - including every green technology - has benefits and limitations. Transforming the grid to achieve carbon neutrality will be the challenge of our time and will require every green energy tool available. Great River Hydro’s carbon-free hydropower is unlike any other generator in New England today, and its capabilities are not replicable by any technology currently conceived.
Moore Dam pictured left
UNDERSTANDING ‘GOOD’ POWER
Good for
Communities
Beyond carbon-free renewable energy generation, Great River Hydro’s dams and reservoirs also help respond to the effects of changing climate. Climate scientists predict that New England will see warmer and wetter winters, more intense individual precipitation events, and increased risk of inland floods. Great River Hydro closely monitors river and reservoir levels, snowpack, and weather conditions throughout our contributing watersheds, and we carefully coordinate our operations systemwide with regional agencies and organizations. Our large reservoirs and flexible operations allow us to respond to lessen the impacts from high water events on property owners and public infrastructure, and to protect public safety. We have also developed a state-of-the-art emergency response planning tool for use by first responders during floods in the Connecticut and Deerfield River valleys.
Bellows Falls pictured right
UNDERSTANDING ‘GOOD’ POWER
Good for
the Grid
Flip the switch and the power will be there – reliable power is something we’ve grown accustomed to. Grid operators must balance constantly varying usage by calling upon energy generators to respond. Different power generation technologies – mainly fossil fuel powered ones – vary greatly in how fast they can turn on, ramp to peak performance, and even shut down. Others, like solar and wind, aren’t dispatchable at all – imagine a cloudy or calm day. Great River Hydro stores energy as water in its reservoirs, allowing us to turn our generators on or off in under 10 minutes to respond to grid needs – 100% carbon-free. What’s more, we store that energy without consuming electricity like batteries and other storage resources that charge from the grid.
Moore Station pictured left
Good means:
Displacing 680,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Generating 1.6 terawatt hours of electricity each year, enough energy to power 213,000 New England homes.
Deerfield No. 2 Dam and Station