Home Care In Conowingo, MD

CONOWINGO, Md. - Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced an agreement between the state and Constellation Energy, operators of the Conowingo Dam, to implement operational and environmental improvements at the dam to promote the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Conowingo Dam’s hydroelectric facility operates on the Susquehanna River and is the largest source of renewable energy in Maryland, according to Moore’s office. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation says the Susquehanna, which runs through Pennsylvania into Maryland, is the source of about half of the Chesapeake Bay’s fresh water.

Pollution and sediment contained in that fresh water from Pennsylvania has been a major contributor to dead zones in the Chesapeake, according to state officials and environmental groups.

Constellation Energy and the Maryland Department of Environment entered an initial agreement in 2019 totaling about $200 million following widespread concern over water quality impacts associated with the Conowingo Dam’s operation. That agreement, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, was insufficient and allowed Constellation to avoid water quality improvements normally required by Maryland. In 2021, environmental groups including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation challenged the agreement as well as a 50-year-permit for the Conowingo Dam to operate, arguing Constellation Energy was failing to mitigate pollution in the Susquehanna entering the Chesapeake. A U.S. Court of Appeals judge agreed in 2022, requiring a new agreement be reached.

The revised agreement, announced on Oct. 2, 2025, includes $87.6 million for pollution reduction and resiliency initiatives, $77.8 million in trash and debris removal, over $28 million for aquatic life passage and protection at the dam, $23.3 million in freshwater mussel restoration, and $18.7 million in dredging support. The whole agreement, and Constellation Energy’s renewed commitments, total over $340 million.

Constellation has also committed to help battle the ever-growing threat of invasive species like snakeheads, or Chesapeake Channa, and blue catfish in Chesapeake waters as part of the agreement.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the keystone to Maryland’s prosperity,” Governor Moore said Thursday. “This agreement will lead to real improvements in water quality in the biggest tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, while securing the future of one of our state’s largest clean energy producers. By bringing everyone to the table, we have struck an agreement that is good for the environment, good for energy production, and good for Marylanders.”

MDE issued a Revised Water Quality Certification to Constellation Energy on Thursday which is now expected to be incorporated into Constellation’s license to operate the dam, according to the group Waterkeepers Chesapeake. Once incorporated, Moore’s office says the obligations will be fully and effectively enforced by Maryland.

“With this agreement, we are protecting clean water and vibrant ecosystems for generations to come while supporting jobs, commerce, and energy security,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “All parties—including environmental groups who challenged a previous framework—have signed on. From restored fisheries to enhanced recreation and tourism, the benefits of a healthier Susquehanna River flow through our communities, our industries, and the Chesapeake Bay.”

Governor Moore’s office says cleaner waterways in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed bolster tourism and Maryland’s seafood industry, which together generate nearly $4 billion a year in economic activity.

“I am looking forward to this $340 million agreement which will invest in environmental projects over the next 50 years to support the health of the Susquehanna River and the beating heart of our state – the Chesapeake Bay,” said U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks. “This settlement will continue to provide reliable, clean energy for Maryland, clean up our environment by removing trash and debris, control invasive species, protect our ecosystem, and improve our state's water quality.”

The State of Maryland and Constellation Energy reached a $340 million agreement to enhance water quality downstream from the Conowingo Dam.

The State of Maryland and Constellation Energy recently cemented a historic agreement to fund and implement operational improvements and environmental projects at the Conowingo Dam. The commitments—valued at more than $340 million and negotiated in partnership with Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association—will meet enforceable water quality standards by mitigating the impacts associated with the dam’s operation.

According to the press release:

“The Chesapeake Bay is the keystone to Maryland’s prosperity,” said Gov. Moore. “This agreement will lead to real improvements in water quality in the biggest tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, while securing the future of one of our state’s largest clean energy producers. By bringing everyone to the table, we have struck an agreement that is good for the environment, good for energy production, and good for Marylanders.”

“The Susquehanna watershed is home to one of the largest concentrations of clean energy generation in America, and Constellation is proud to build on that nearly century-old legacy, investing heavily in clean generation, protecting water quality and powering Maryland’s economy,” said Constellation President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Dominguez. “But it’s not just the scale of the investments we are making that makes us proud, it’s how we are investing. Some utility monopolies are claiming they can lower your electricity costs by building new generation, but they want you to guarantee their profits. That’s just not fair, especially now, when many families are already struggling to pay higher electricity bills. In the last decade, Constellation has invested more than $1 billion in Maryland clean energy projects, from wind and hydro to state-of-the-art nuclear energy, and we will never ask Maryland families to bear business risks that we won’t.”

The agreement clears the way for the re-licensing and continued operation of the dam’s hydroelectric facility on the Susquehanna River, which is the largest source of renewable energy in the state. The terms of the agreement include operational improvements and upfront and ongoing annual payments:

Proud to join @GovWesMoore, local environmental orgs and other MD officials to announce a 50-year agreement that accelerates significant environmental stewardship efforts and clears the way for the relicensing and continued operation of @ConowingoDam. ???? https://t.co/xBPsY8hAXn pic.twitter.com/bc798uVtO8

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Maryland officials unveiled a $340 million settlement Thursday and issued a new water quality certification to the Conowingo Dam, clearing the way for dam owner Constellation Energy to seek a new 50-year federal license to operate the hydroelectric facility.

The deal also resolves years of contentious litigation over the nearly century-old dam, which has become an environmental flashpoint in recent years as its overwhelmed reservoir has allowed polluting sediment to overflow into the Susquehanna River.

Particularly during severe storms, water overflowing from the Conowingo reservoir carries nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus downstream, contributing to “dead zones” for underwater life in the Chesapeake Bay and hampering a struggling multistate effort to clean up the bay.

The settlement between Maryland, Constellation and a pair of clean water advocacy groups — Waterkeepers Chesapeake and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper — includes $87.6 million for pollution reduction measures, including planting of trees and underwater grasses. It also includes more than $60 million to improve fish passage over the dam, control invasive species and create a hatchery for freshwater mussels to be planted in the river; and another $77.8 million to clean up trash and debris rushing down the Susquehanna.

Constellation will also pay $18.7 million to explore, and possibly begin, dredging at the dam’s reservoir. But any dredging is still a long way off. All parties are waiting for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that will use computer modeling to assess the impacts of dredging on the reservoir and river downstream. Once that study is complete, likely in late 2026 or 2027, the Maryland Department of the Environment will decide how to use dredging payments that Constellation must make annually for 25 years.

Even then, the agency could move toward getting a dredging permit, could call for more studies — including evaluating the potentially lucrative reuse of silt dredged from behind the dam — or could designate Constellation’s dredging payments to other environmental projects if the Corps study indicates dredging is inadvisable.

Robin Broder, executive director of Waterkeepers Chesapeake, said Thursday that she feels confident dredging will happen eventually.

Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Ted Evgeniadis said his team believes dredging is an economic and viable option. Prior estimates, which found that dredging would cost Constellation “hundreds of millions of dollars every year for 50 years,” are no longer accurate, he said.

“Dredging is much different today than it was 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago. There are new technologies today, whether it’s a hydraulic dredge or an ejection dredge,” Evgeniadis said. “All of these new things that have come up over the years are going to be looked at.”

A news conference Thursday at the foot of the dam — near where fishermen cast their lines and below scores of circling vultures and waterbirds — featured what one Constellation official said would usuallyt be considered “strange bedfellows”: Maryland state officials, leaders of environmental nonprofits and Constellation Energy CEO Joseph Dominguez.

Dominguez jokingly turned his pocket inside out Thursday, telling the crowd: “Yeah, this is costly for us. And yeah, I don’t have anything but lint left in my pockets on this one.”

“But I’m glad it’s resolved. I’m glad we can get up here and proudly say we’re doing all of this work,” said Dominguez, praising Gov. Wes Moore’s “steady hand” in the negotiations over the dam, which has 11 turbines, and can produce up to 572 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 165,000 homes.

The story goes back to 2018, when Maryland issued a water quality certification to the dam’s previous owner, Exelon. Constellation and its energy generation portfolio split from Exelon in 2022 to became a standalone business.

That certification would have required the company to mitigate the nutrient and sediment overflows, or make compensatory payments to the state that Exelon said could have totaled $172 million a year. That’s because the dam contributes an estimated 6 million pounds of nitrogen and 260,000 pounds of phosphorus to the bay each year, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Exelon challenged Maryland’s certification in court, and eventually the two parties reached a closed-door deal in which Exelon accepted a number of environmental conditions and agreed to pay about $200 million over 5o years toward restoring the Susquehanna and easing fish passage over the dam. In turn, Maryland waived its authority to issue the water quality certification, to the ire of environmental groups.

That’s where a federal court said Maryland went wrong. In December 2022, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated the 50-year hydropower license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission because it said Maryland could not waive its authority to issue the certification.

That sent Maryland back to the negotiating table — now with Constellation and the two environmental groups, who had also challenged the original water quality certification as not going far enough to protect the ecosystem. This was happening just as Moore was taking office.

“We inherited a project that was mired in lawsuits, had frustrations on all sides, where the future of the largest source of renewable energy in our state was in question, while environmental impacts were being unchecked,” Moore said. “I had people who said to me — they had a lot of words — but it all could get summed up in basically a few simple sentences: Stay away from the Conowingo Dam, because that problem is just too difficult to solve.”

Moore’s new environment secretary at the time, Serena McIlwain, having just arrived from California’s Department of the Environment, had to quickly get up to speed on the Conowingo Dam, along with the state’s other environmental challenges.

“I was told that, well, everything kind of went wrong with the negotiations before we started. One was, we didn’t have the right people at the table,” McIlwain said. “And I said to my team, make sure the right people — the waterkeepers — are at the table.”

Maryland learned “hard lessons” from the court’s rejection of the previous settlement, said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. This time, the state issued a revised version of the 2018 water quality certification, along with the settlement.

“The Department of the Environment will retain full power to enforce compliance with water quality standards — and that matters,” said Brown, who called the settlement a “historic victory” for Marylanders and the Chesapeake Bay.

Getting to the finish line was challenging. Brown said it took more than 30 mediation sessions. McIlwain said there were times when some of the parties were “ready to walk out the door.” Among the biggest sticking points was the dredging issue, said Adam Ortiz, a deputy secretary at the Maryland Department of the Environment.

“We could have given up months ago. We really could have,” McIlwain said. “But I knew I needed my job, and I said: ‘You guys are going to get back at that table, and I’ll bring more food. I don’t care. We’re going to get it done.’”

Constellation’s Dominguez bemoaned the long road the dam operator had to walk in order to get its critical new license from FERC.

“It shouldn’t have taken us 10 years to sort through all of the issues here, and that’s a bit disappointing,” he said. “But … the resolution to those permitting issues often requires people coming together that have different interests, that sometimes have conflicting interests, and bringing those folks together and making something good happen.”

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

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ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced a historic agreement with Constellation Energy to fund and implement operational improvements and environmental projects at the Conowingo Dam. The commitments—valued at more than $340 million and negotiated in partnership with Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association—will meet enforceable water quality standards by mitigating the impacts associated with the dam’s operation.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the keystone to Maryland’s prosperity,” said Gov. Moore. “This agreement will lead to real improvements in water quality in the biggest tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, while securing the future of one of our state’s largest clean energy producers. By bringing everyone to the table, we have struck an agreement that is good for the environment, good for energy production, and good for Marylanders.”

The agreement clears the way for the re-licensing and continued operation of the dam’s hydroelectric facility on the Susquehanna River, which is the largest source of renewable energy in the state. The terms of the agreement, announced today at the dam, include operational improvements and upfront and ongoing annual payments:

“This historic agreement ensures that our children and grandchildren will inherit a Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River that are cleaner and healthier than they are today,” said Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. “I'm proud of our office’s tireless efforts in this case to improve water quality and protect the lives and livelihoods of Marylanders who depend on these essential waterways for recreation and work.”

The commitments are contained in a Revised Water Quality Certification issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment and a companion settlement agreement. The department issues certifications pursuant to authority from Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. For a dam, a certification works like a permit and has conditions and requirements for the operation of the dam.

An initial certification was issued in 2018, but legal challenges led to a 2019 waiver of that certification and settlement, requiring the dam owner to invest in improvements valued at $230 million. The terms were dependent on the facility’s receipt of a 50-year federal license, but an appeals court vacated that license in 2022.

To reach the agreement announced today, the extensive reconsideration process included a public comment period and more than a year of mediation involving the State, Constellation, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and Waterkeepers Chesapeake, leading to the agreement announced today. A Revised Water Quality Certification will be filed with the federal government for the dam’s license to be renewed.

“With this agreement, we are protecting clean water and vibrant ecosystems for generations to come while supporting jobs, commerce, and energy security,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “All parties—including environmental groups who challenged a previous framework—have signed on. From restored fisheries to enhanced recreation and tourism, the benefits of a healthier Susquehanna River flow through our communities, our industries, and the Chesapeake Bay.”

“The Susquehanna watershed is home to one of the largest concentrations of clean energy generation in America, and Constellation is proud to build on that nearly century-old legacy, investing heavily in clean generation, protecting water quality and powering Maryland’s economy,” said Constellation President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Dominguez. “But it’s not just the scale of the investments we are making that makes us proud, it’s how we are investing. Some utility monopolies are claiming they can lower your electricity costs by building new generation, but they want you to guarantee their profits. That’s just not fair, especially now, when many families are already struggling to pay higher electricity bills. In the last decade, Constellation has invested more than $1 billion in Maryland clean energy projects, from wind and hydro to state-of-the-art nuclear energy, and we will never ask Maryland families to bear business risks that we won’t.”

Cleaner waterways bolster tourism in Maryland, which generates about $3.2 billion a year in economic activity. Improved water quality and habitat also benefits Maryland’s seafood industry, which contributes nearly $600 million to the state’s economy each year.

“The relicensing of Conowingo Dam is critical to the health of the Susquehanna River and the overall restoration of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Waterkeepers Chesapeake Acting Executive Director Robin Broder. “Today’s agreement marks a new era for the dam and a new commitment for clean water. The funding for water quality projects, a pathway to dredging, and investments in living resources such as the freshwater mussel hatchery are significant steps forward. Though more than a decade in the making, this agreement is not the end of our efforts, but rather the beginning of an important new chapter. Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper look forward to providing oversight on the implementation of this important agreement.”

“Today’s announcement marks 16 years of tremendous effort and perseverance by our organization to assure Conowingo Dam is relicensed with proper conditions that protect the health of the Lower Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay,” said Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper and Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Executive Director Ted Evgeniadis. “Without the unwavering commitment of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, dredging the reservoir to stop harmful pulses of sediment and pollution from reaching the bay would not have been considered. In partnership with Waterkeepers Chesapeake, our successful appeal of the license and the 2019 Settlement brought the parties back together to renegotiate far better terms that will improve water quality and protect our aquatic species for the next 50 years.”

Once the conditions of the Revised Water Quality Certification are incorporated in the dam’s operating license, Maryland will ensure that the obligations in the Certification are fully and effectively enforced.

“Restoring the Chesapeake Bay is both an environmental and economic imperative for Maryland – countless lives and livelihoods throughout the watershed depend on it,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. “This agreement marks a major step toward a healthier Bay and a stronger Maryland. With it we are poised to make important strides in improving water quality and bolstering our seafood and outdoor recreation – while securing a key source of clean energy for our state for years to come.”

“I am looking forward to this $340 million agreement which will invest in environmental projects over the next 50 years to support the health of the Susquehanna River and the beating heart of our state – the Chesapeake Bay,” said U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks. “This settlement will continue to provide reliable, clean energy for Maryland, clean up our environment by removing trash and debris, control invasive species, protect our ecosystem, and improve our state's water quality.”

“I am proud that all parties, under the leadership of Governor Wes Moore and his administration, reached an agreement on the Conowingo Dam that balances the needs of all Marylanders,” said U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer. “The Conowingo Dam settlement represents an important investment in the health of our treasured Chesapeake Bay, something I have spent my career fighting for, as well as a clear path forward for Conowingo to continue providing clean, reliable power for Maryland and the broader region.”

“The Conowingo Dam, while an important renewable source of energy for the State of Maryland, has also played a role in sediment reaching the Chesapeake Bay,” said U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume. “I commend Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of the Environment’s success in bringing all parties together for a new Conowingo Dam settlement agreement which will increase investment into environmental remediation and restoration.”

“The new Conowingo Dam settlement is an excellent example of solutions-oriented stakeholder engagement,” said U.S. Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth. “The impact of this historic investment in water quality and the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem will have generational impacts, including the development of a new freshwater mussel hatchery, water quality monitoring, and combating invasive species like the blue catfish. I look forward to the implementation of these exciting projects.”

“It is critical we protect and invest in the Chesapeake Bay — a cultural and economic lifeline for our state,” said U.S. Congressman Johnny Olszewski. “I applaud our state agencies and Constellation for their collaboration with local conservation organizations to reach a deal that will strengthen the health of the Bay for years to come. I thank all of the stakeholders who understood the urgent need to support this essential Chesapeake tributary and clean energy source.”

“With this historic agreement, we’re making a commitment to better protect our state’s water quality and vital ecosystems all while creating a brighter future for clean energy,” said U.S. Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “The Conowingo Dam’s re-licensing and operational improvements mean our environment and waterways are better off — along with the Maryland communities that depend on them for everything from commercial prosperity to hydroelectric power. This is a win for innovation, for our Maryland businesses, and for protecting our water resources.”

“The Conowingo Dam has been providing the lowest cost renewable energy electricity to Marylanders for decades, and, with this agreement, will be allowed to continue to do so,” said U.S. Congressman Andy Harris.

“This deal ensures we balance the importance of generating renewable energy while protecting water quality standards and the broader ecosystem,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary and Chesapeake Bay Program Principals’ Staff Committee Chair Josh Kurtz. “The settlement will allow us to apply the innovative strategies we developed restoring oysters in Chesapeake Bay tributaries to bring back water-filtering mussels in the Susquehanna River basin and other freshwater rivers in Maryland. Thank you to everyone who helped us reach this agreement.”

Governor Moore included more than $400 million in his FY26 budget for Chesapeake Bay and clean water projects that create local jobs, improve public spaces, and enhance property values. Building on this commitment, Maryland has taken action to decrease pollution and crafted a new bay strategy focused on industry best practices.

In May, Governor Moore signed the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act, which supports sustainable farming, expands oyster restoration, and modernizes water quality programs. Key provisions include creating a certification program for farmers who use practices that reduce runoff, establishing a unified water quality monitoring program, and strengthening oyster aquaculture leasing. To further advance these efforts, the Moore Administration has expanded funding for enhanced nutrient removal upgrades, provided resources to farmers and local governments, and financed innovative projects like the $200 million Piscataway Bioenergy facility serving Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.

For more information visit mde.m?aryland.gov.

ANNAPOLIS — Constellation Energy has agreed to spend more than $340 million to improve water quality at Maryland’s Conowingo Dam, which flows into the Susquehanna River and eventually ends up in the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, officials announced Thursday.

The agreement clears the way for the re-licensing and continued operation of the dam’s hydroelectric facility on the Susquehanna, which is the largest source of renewable energy in Maryland.

“This agreement will lead to real improvements in water quality in the biggest tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, while securing the future of one of our state’s largest clean energy producers,” Gov. Wes Moore said.

The agreement marks an end to wrangling over who is responsible for addressing pollution in sediment that gets stuck in the dam and ends up being released downstream and into the bay.

The Maryland Department of the Environment issued an initial certification for the Conowingo Dam in 2018, but legal challenges led to a 2019 waiver of that certification and a settlement that required Constellation Energy to invest in improvements valued at $230 million. The terms were dependent on the facility’s receipt of a 50-year federal license, which it got but that was challenged by environmental groups.

An appeals court vacated that license in 2022 after siding with the environmental groups who argued that Constellation’s license should require the company to mitigate the dam’s water quality impacts.

The deal announced Thursday was negotiated in partnership with Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association to meet enforceable water quality standards, the governor’s office said.

The terms include about $88 million for pollution reduction and resiliency initiatives, including shoreline restoration, forest buffers, fish passage projects and planting underwater grasses that produce oxygen, stabilize sediments and provide habitat for countless species. Another $78 million will be spent on trash and debris removal to add to efforts that already clear an average of about 600 tons of debris each year.

It also includes funding to improve passages for fish and eels, a new freshwater mussel hatchery, invasive species management, and a study on the scientific and economic viability of dredging the dam to remove trapped sediment.

A Revised Water Quality Certification will be filed with the federal government for the dam’s license to be renewed, the governor’s office said.

“Today’s announcement marks 16 years of tremendous effort and perseverance by our organization to assure Conowingo Dam is relicensed with proper conditions that protect the health of the Lower Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay,” said Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper and Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Executive Director Ted Evgeniadis.

Brian Witte reports for The Associated Press.