A company has sought out a location in Northampton County as an area to generate clean and renewable power.
New England Hydropower Company says it wants to place a small scale hydropower plant in Hugh Moore Park along the Delaware and Lehigh Historic Canal Corridor.
It recently presented its plans to Northampton County Council, in hopes of the members’ support and financial contribution.
The resolution states the hydropower company needs a municipal partner to match a potential $1.5 million grant under the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Alternative and Renewable Energy Program.
If the state grants funds for this project, whether it is $1.5 million or less, the municipality will match it to help the project move forward.
Northampton County Council voted 7-2 at Thursday’s meeting in favor of the resolution.
The funds would come from the county’s 2019 budget.
“I have been saying Northampton County’s future is green and bringing this exciting renewable energy project here is just the beginning of what we’re going to do to help achieve that,” Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said.
New England Hydropower Company says it has used this small scale hydropower — commonly known as an Archimedes Screw — before in a Connecticut pond to generate clean, renewable power.
