Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station

Constellation received a 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on March 19, 2021 to continue operating the Conowingo Dam. The license is a critical step forward for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and paves the way for long-term investments that will enhance water quality, fish and eel passage, aquatic habitats and debris removal. It also enables the continued operation of Maryland’s largest source of renewable energy, which generates safe, reliable power for tens of thousands of families and businesses in the state.

Conowingo Dam Crest Gates​

To comply with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requirements, we open the dam's crest gates when river conditions require. We are committed to continually informing and working with community and government partners to fulfill our shared responsibility to protect and restore the health of the bay.

Partnership with Maryland

In addition to powering homes and businesses, the Conowingo Dam produces economic and environmental benefits for both the state and local communities throughout the region.

In October 2019, the State of Maryland and Constellation reached a historic agreement that will help protect the Chesapeake Bay for decades to come. Read more about the full agreement.

As a part of Maryland’s vital energy infrastructure, the Conowingo Dam provides $273 million in economic benefits every year, which includes supporting 265 full-time equivalent jobs, paying $10 million in annual state and local taxes, and attracting 365,000 recreational visits annually. As a major tourist site in eastern Maryland, the Conowingo Dam and recreation area contribute to Cecil and Harford Counties’ $21.7 million in tax revenue from tourism in 2018. The Conowingo Pond, located behind the dam, is vital to the water supply for several communities, serving as a back-up water supply source for both the City of Baltimore and the Chester Water Authority.

With more than a dozen community events every year, Constellation is proud to be involved with several charitable activities and non-profit organizations committed to Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay. Our employees proudly participate in a variety of charitable activities, such as donations to the local United Way chapters, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cecil and Harford Counties, the Harford Family House, the Stroud Water Research Center, and the Plumpton Park Zoological Gardens, Inc., among others.

Protecting the Bay

We share the State of Maryland’s commitment to restoring and sustaining the health of the Chesapeake Bay. That's why in October 2019, the State of Maryland and Constellation reached a historic agreement that will help protect the Chesapeake Bay for decades to come. The benefits to Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay are valued at more than $200 million over the anticipated 50-year life of the license, which will be funded from the dam’s earnings over that time period. These funds will be used to address key issues facing the bay, including upstream debris, fish and eel passage, nutrient reduction, mussel restoration, and resiliency initiatives.

Read more about the full agreement and all of the benefits for the Chesapeake Bay.

Protecting Our Waterways

One of the key environmental issues for the Chesapeake Bay is debris. Debris originates upstream from the more than 27,500 miles of tributaries and streams in the Susquehanna River watershed, flowing down through New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Our agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior also includes significant investments in fish passage improvements at the dam and the creation or re-introduction of a trap-and-transport program to transport fish from Conowingo Dam to north of the York Haven Dam. In addition, Constellation will fund a total of $11 million for improvements to eel passage and to benefit nutrient reductions and aquatic habitats, plus $1 million to fund eel passage research.

To comply with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requirements, we open the Conowingo Dam's crest gates when river conditions require. We are committed to continually informing and working with community and government partners to fulfill our shared responsibility to protect and restore the health of the bay.

Constellation uses a variety of tools and resources to help remove the debris safely and efficiently, including:

• Deploying crews to operate overhead cranes and grapple devices

• Launching debris skimmer boats to assist with clean up

• Sponsoring two major annual events: the Lower Susquehanna Heritage River Sweep and Conowingo Pond clean-up day, where we remove 600 tons of debris and refuse from the river each year

• Supporting other groups also focused on bay clean-up efforts, as with our $25,000 donation in 2018 to the Chesapeake Bay Trust to support local debris clean-up efforts after a severe flooding event

Through these efforts, we removed more than 4,000 tons of debris in 2018 alone. Although Constellation voluntarily removes debris from the river, it is not possible to remove all debris flowing toward the dam from the upstream watershed. This is especially true during flood conditions, as seen during the summer of 2018 when the Susquehanna River swelled to 10 times its normal level.

Protecting Our Wildlife

The Conowingo Dam continues to play an instrumental role in wildlife conservation. In the early 1990s, a $12 million fish lift was completed at the dam, which has restored more than 1 million American shad, returning them to the upper Susquehanna River and supporting local recreational fishing. Moreover, 300 American bald eagles gather at the Conowingo Dam annually by Thanksgiving, which they use as a major breeding, nesting, and foraging ground.