Canton

The Upper Collinsville Hydroelectric Power Plant is located on the Farmington River in the Town of Canton in Hartford County, Connecticut.

The dam was constructed in 1867 by the Collins Company to power their facilities as a manufacturer of axes, hatchets, hammers, adzes, picks, shovels, machetes, cane knives, wrenches, hoes, bush hooks, swords, knives, and cast steel plows. The Collins Company closed in 1966 and the Upper and Lower Dams as well as structures on site were donated to the State of Connecticut.

In 2015, the Town of Canton issued a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the hydroelectric plant and chose Canton Hydro LLC as the development partner. Canton Hydro LLC is a group of experienced architects and engineers passionate about providing the people of Connecticut with a renewable energy source, which will not only make the New England electrical power grid more resilient but will also allow fish to spawn upstream for the first time in over 150 years.

After 54 years, the Upper Collinsville Hydroelectric Power Plant is scheduled to get back on the grid in the summer of 2020.