Hydroelectric company considers Tremont Dam

Sep 4, 2019
More renewable energy could be coming to Wareham. Literal Power, a company that recently met with Town Planner Ken Buckland, is considering upgrading the Tremont Dam to be a source of hydroelectric power.
 
Tremont Dam is located on Tremont Mill Pond, off Main Street before the West Wareham School. It is not the dam near Tremont Nail, which is (somewhat confusingly) named the Parker Mills Dam.
 
The company would be fixing the dam gates. The project is planned to work with the proposed removal of the Horseshoe Mill Dam, which would increase the flow of water in the Weweantic River.
 
The Tremont Dam was used for hydroelectric power in the past. According to the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, the dam was used for power from 1923 to 1938. In 1982, the town received approval to use the dam for power, and put the project out to bid into 2017, but it has not been active for decades.
 
Hydroelectric power alone would not be enough to make the endeavor profitable. Literal Power is considering adding some solar panels or even a small wind power unit to supplement the energy production.
 
Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said that proper battery storage on the site would likely be the key to the company’s success.