It might seem like a simple fix, but harvesting electricity from the many existing Berkshire County dams would take so long and cost so much money just to secure the federal permits, local dam owners are somewhat reluctant to attempt it.

And the largest owner of local dams, a state agency, doesn't even seem interested.

That's what came out of a symposium Friday on the local potential for low-impact hydroelectric energy generation.

Fred Szufnarowski, an engineer with The Essex Partnership, explained that even a small hydroelectric project in a Massachusetts waterway could take more than six years and cost up to a half million dollars, with the feasibility and screening taking up about two-thirds of the time and cost.

Study in six figures

A preliminary feasibility study to determine environmental impact, possible power generation, and the risk factors of the existing dam could cost up to $100,00 and take about six months. The permitting process through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can take three or more years and cost between $100,000 and $250,000. The design process and local permitting could take about 18 months and cost up to $50,000.

The time and cost of buying the hydroelectric turbines and installing them is a fraction of the rest of the process.

Meanwhile, for towns installing in-line projects for their existing water system, it could be more feasible to include a hydroelectric turbine as

part of the project. The requirements by the FERC are much simpler for these types of projects because there are no costly impacts.

In Pittsfield, the Coltsville Flow Control Project is replacing a flow control valve at a cost of more than $1 million, according to Bruce Collingwood, commissioner of Pittsfield Public Works and Utilities.

For an additional $110,000, the city has included a 40.5-kilowatt turbine that will generate about $50,000 per year by pumping power back into the grid, and it will pay for itself in two years.

But for the dozens of dams in the rivers and streams of Berkshire County, the process is very different, and much more of an obstacle.

State involvement

Another issue, said Nat Karns, executive director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, is that most of the bigger dams, like the one at Pontoosuc Lake, are owned by the state Department of Recreation and Conservation.

"But nobody at DCR is looking at dams they own and how much potential for energy generation they might have there," Karns said after the conference. "We're missing these opportunities."

He also noted that while the state is focusing on renewable energy, it has been entirely focused on solar and wind technology.

"Why in the quest for more green power options is hydro-power getting short shrift?" Karns wondered.

Of all the dams in Western Massachusetts, he said, some may be superfluous, some may be impractical, but others "are never going to go away and we've got a lot more potential than we're using right now."

To reach Scott Stafford:

sstafford@berkshireeagle.com,

or (413) 496-6241.

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