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After ‘growing pains,’ Potsdam East Dam generating power

Posted 2/28/21

BY ADAM ATKINSON North Country This Week POTSDAM — Power is being generated at the East Dam after a few “growing pains” with the rehabilitation project, the village administrator told the board …

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After ‘growing pains,’ Potsdam East Dam generating power

Posted

BY ADAM ATKINSON

North Country This Week

POTSDAM — Power is being generated at the East Dam after a few “growing pains” with the rehabilitation project, the village administrator told the board of trustees recently.

“Wow… To say it was impressive was an understatement to see it make power again after a few years,” said village administrator Greg Thompson at the village board meeting Monday, Feb. 22. “Its quiet. It’s running properly.”

Thompson said there are some obstacles the project will have to overcome but said he hoped they were not too major. “So there is more to come.”

The two 400-kilowatt hydro generators at the East Dam failed in 2014 and 2015 and the village has been working with outside contractors to rebuild the equipment and bring the dam back on line for the last year and a half.

When all is said and done, the rehab project is expected to cost just over $4 million which the village is financing through the New York Power Authority over 15 years.

Rebuilding of the two East Dam hydro turbines was done by firms in Maine and Pennsylvania.

NYPA is providing up front funding and expertise for the work.

Revenue made from a working power generation dam once the project is complete is expected to offset the payments to NYPA for the debt. Village officials are hoping to see a surplus of revenue from the East Dam project from the power generated there, even after paying off the debt for the rehab project.

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