FirstLight to Further Lower Candlewood Lake Water Levels in Response to Department of Energy Order to Support Grid Stability During Cold Snap  

NEW MILFORD, Conn. – January 31, 2026 – FirstLight, the owner and operator of the Rocky River Pumped Hydro Storage Station in New Milford, must amend the ongoing drawdown plan for Candlewood Lake, by drawing it down up to 4 feet lower than originally planned, in order to provide additional generation to the power grid during the sustained cold snap impacting New England.  

This move is in response to a January 25 Department of Energy (DOE) emergency order, no. 202-26-03, pursuant to section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, to ISO New England (ISO-NE), and subsequent extension through February 14, authorizing generating units located within the ISO-NE region “to operate up to their maximum generation output levels, notwithstanding air quality or other permit limitations arising under federal, state, or local law or regulation, or other applicable source of law.” This is the first 202(c) emergency order issued by DOE to ISO-NE since 2003 and is in response to persistent abnormally low temperatures in the region and forecasted sustained high electricity demand. 

FirstLight’s annual drawdown of Candlewood Lake is executed in consultation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Candlewood Lake Authority. Each of these parties has been informed of the change to the drawdown plan. FirstLight will draw the lake down from the planned levels associated with a shallow drawdown (424’-422′), to levels associated with a deep drawdown (420′-418′) to respond to the order. Despite the shift to a deep drawdown, the refilling schedule of Candlewood Lake will not change; the lake will return to normal summer operating ranges prior to Memorial Day 2026. 

Most importantly, FirstLight is cautioning members of the public to be aware of constantly changing conditions on the lake, which can become dangerous in very short periods of time. Ice shelves, ice drifts, and other hazards regularly occur and could present a life-threatening situation, so proceed with extreme caution when venturing out onto the lake.