Proposal: Windsor Locks Hydropower Project Could Aid Main Street Revitalization

A Windsor Locks resident hopes that by harnessing the power of the river will help to rejuvenate the Main Street area.

The Windsor Locks Economic, Industrial and Development Commission held a special meeting at town hall Tuesday evening, providing Chris Kervick, founder of the newly-formed Windsor Locks Hydropower, LLC, an opportunity to address residents regarding his intention to purchase the land and water-use rights associated with the old Montgomery Mill building site.

Whether the Montgomery Mill or the adjacent Horton Complex will be developed remains to be seen, and is out of Kervick's hands, but he intends to maintain rights to draw water from the historic canal, which runs alongside the property. Kervick also wants to revitalize an existing hydropower system that, he says, could provide minimal financial benefits for Windsor Locks Hydropower and an increase in potential benefits for the town.

While the sustainable-energy project alone is not expected to be anything close to a fiscal boon, it's better than nothing, said Kervick. In fact, it could be just what the town needs with respect to aiding efforts to reinvigorate Windsor Locks' downtown, he said.

"I'm sick and tired of waiting for the White Knight to ride in and plop down $10 million on this site and save Windsor Locks," Kervick said. "Maybe it's got to come from inside [Windsor Locks]."

Once the hydropower system is revitalized, the site could become far more enticing to potential developers, he said.

The property owners currently owe $220,000 in back taxes on the property. At an October foreclosure auction the highest bid for the site was a mere $15,000, which was rejected by the town and the state court system handling the sale.

According to Kervick, a self-described canal historian, hydropower is far from new to the canal. Nearby Ahlstrom Nonwovens, a fiber composite manufacture, currently draws water from the canal, and the canal, unlike most, was built for just that purpose, in addition to allowing for travel.

Accordingly, existing hydropower systems remain on the site — three hydropower generators beneath the Montgomery building and three beneath the Horton Complex, which was destroyed in a 2006 fire.

Kervick's proposal is to bring the systems up to date, beginning with the three beneath the Horton Complex.

Were the project to run at a conservative efficiency estimate of 50 percent efficiency, it would generate enough energy to power electrical use for 221 homes per year.

At 100 percent efficiency, the project would generate enough power for 434 homes, according to Kervick.

Such sustainable energy could be enticing to potential property bidders, but, even without an interested developer, the project still has merit, Kervick said Tuesday.

According to Kervick, Connecticut Light and Power is required by new state legislation to purchase such power at a wholesale rate. 

Wholesale purchase of the renewable energy produced on site could bring in $46,000 of revenue annually, according to Kervick, but a private retailer would yield much more.

A private retailer could bring more than $160,000 on an annual basis, Kervick said.

Kervick estimated it would take Windsor Locks Hydropower two years to gain the proper licensing for the project and another year until the project would be fully operational.

Upfront costs are estimated to be between $750,000 and $1 million.

According to Kervick, the Board of Selectmen must approve the project before it move forward.