Brookfield Power Wins NHA Stewardship Award for Historic Preservation Work at New York Hydropower Facility

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School Street Facility

WASHINGTON, DC (04/14/2008)(readMedia)-- The National Hydropower Association today recognized Brookfield Power with one of the hydropower industry’s most prestigious honors, the Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) award for “Recreational, Educational, and Historical Enhancement” at a hydropower facility.

NHA recognized Brookfield Power for a special initiative at its 38.8-megawatt School Street hydropower plant in historic Cohoes, New York. The company made extensive aesthetic upgrades at the site, including exterior building enhancements designed to preserve the facility’s look, feel, and historic integrity. Brookfield Power also re-landscaped and enhanced the grounds, improved local access roads, and redeveloped nearby Overlook Park, a popular recreational destination at Cohoes Falls.

“Brookfield Power’s project highlights how renewable energy production, community resources, historic preservation, and environmental protection can work in harmony,” said NHA Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci. “Through the Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters program, we honor and highlight efforts like this, along with some of the outstanding innovations taking place in the hydropower industry.”

Companies recognized in the “Recreational, Educational and Historical Enhancement” category must enhance recreational opportunities for the general public, while mitigating, conserving, preserving, or enhancing a site’s natural resources and historic integrity. Nominees also must integrate all of these efforts into the surrounding community.

“Brookfield Power’s efforts in reaching out to the Cohoes community and individuals and organizations throughout New York helped make this project a success,” Church Ciocci said. “This project demonstrates that hydropower owners and operators make for good neighbors and enhance their local communities.”

This is the third time in recent years that NHA has recognized Brookfield Power projects with OSAW awards. The company won the “Recreational Stewardship” award in 2005 for its work on the Trenton Falls Scenic Trail in Trenton, New York. That same year, Brookfield Power also won the “Technological Solutions” award for its efforts at the Higley Hydroelectric Redevelopment Project on New York’s Raquette River.

Brookfield Power is one of five companies NHA is honoring with OSAW awards today at the association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. Other 2008 OSAW Award winners include Chelan County Public Utility District (WA), San Diego County Water Authority (CA), Seattle City Light (WA), and Yuba County Water Agency (CA).

NHA selection panel – which include representatives from industry, environmental, and recreational interests – choose OSAW Award winners based on each project’s challenges, innovations, collaboration with stakeholders, and results.

For more information about the OSAW Awards and the 2008 winners, visit www.outstandingwaters.org.

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NHA is a non-profit national association dedicated exclusively to advancing the interests of the U.S. hydropower industry, including the new waterpower technologies – ocean, tidal and instream hydrokinetic technologies. The association represents 61 percent of domestic, non-federal conventional hydroelectric capacity in the U.S. Its membership consists of more than 150 organizations including public utilities, investor-owned utilities, independent power producers, developers, equipment manufacturers, environmental and engineering consultants, and attorneys.