We are writing in response to the recent article in the Recorder about FirstLight Power Resource’s re-licensing proceeding before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (“FirstLight requests re-licensing change,” Jan. 10, 2019).
There appears to be some misunderstanding concerning FirstLight’s corporate reorganization. FirstLight currently owns and operates the Cabot/Turners Falls project pursuant to an existing FERC-issued license, while it owns and operates the Northfield Mountain project pursuant to a separately-issued FERC license.
The Northfield project serves a much different purpose in the energy markets than Cabot and Turners Falls. Built more than 100 years ago, Cabot and Turners Falls harness the energy of the Connecticut River to generate electricity all day. In contrast, Northfield Mountain, which opened in 1972, functions like a nature-powered battery. Given these different energy functions, these projects operate with very different operating models, costs and financial models.
The corporate restructuring reported on simply aligns these different projects with separate corporate entities. We are not preparing to sell any of the assets.
As your article stated, both of these projects are in the middle of a multiyear FERC relicensing process that FirstLight started working on in 2011. FirstLight’s corporate reorganization is separate and independent of that ongoing relicensing process.
We continue to work closely and cooperatively with FERC, government agencies, and other stakeholders in Franklin County on the relicensing of our generation facilities, which have been producing clean, reliable electricity as well as providing significant local property tax revenues for decades.
FirstLight recognizes that we are stewards of beautiful and treasured lands and waters in Erving, Gill, Montague, and Northfield that are enjoyed and cherished every day by readers of The Recorder and many others. We’re committed to being a good and responsible neighbor. Nothing about our recent internal corporate reorganization affects that commitment.
Len Greene
Director of Government and
Regulatory Affairs
First Light Power