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St. Lawrence County can now benefit from deal to monetize hydropower produced at Massena dam

Posted 6/19/14

More than just businesses can now benefit from the recent deal to allow the proceeds of the sale of 20 megawatts of power from the St. Lawrence-FDR power project, according to Local Government Task …

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St. Lawrence County can now benefit from deal to monetize hydropower produced at Massena dam

Posted

More than just businesses can now benefit from the recent deal to allow the proceeds of the sale of 20 megawatts of power from the St. Lawrence-FDR power project, according to Local Government Task Force chair Joseph Gray.

The legislative deal reached last week allows what is expected to amount between $2 and $3 million annually to be doled out for economic development in St. Lawrence County at the discretion of the newly formed Northern New York Power Allocation Board.

But now, Gray said, St. Lawrence County can apply for funding, “support for tourism and marketing and advertising efforts for St. Lawrence County tourism and business,” a statement from Gray who is also Massena’s town supervisor says.

He added that the task force ratified adding the language by a 6-2 vote and it was later approved by state lawmakers.

“Task Force members felt this language was vital to our economic recovery. We have seen solid evidence of the positive impact tourism can have on our economy and we needed to ensure the money could be used for this emerging sector of local business,” Gray says in the statement. “What may seem like a minor change to the language could very well mean major gains for our area and the people who live here.”

 For more about the original deal, see our earlier story.