The Penobscot River Restoration Project (Penobscot Project), widely acclaimed as one of the nation’s most innovative restoration projects, is an unprecedented collaborative effort that will rebalance fisheries restoration with hydropower production in the largest watershed within Maine. Major partners in the project include hydropower companies PPL Corporation (PPL) and Black Bear Hydro; federal, state, and tribal governments; the Penobscot River Restoration Trust* (Penobscot Trust); and six conservation groups.
The project originated when PPL purchased these dams in 1999. PPL, along with the U.S. Department of Interior, the Penobscot Indian Nation, the State of Maine, and several conservation groups, decided to explore the development of a comprehensive solution to a large number of issues involving hydropower relicensing, migratory fish passage and ecological restoration on the Penobscot River. This commitment formed the basis for the Penobscot River Restoration Project, which led to this vision of river restoration.