Commission advances draft local wetland fee policy

Conservation · Meeting of October 6, 2026

Oakham's Conservation Commission disclosed that Moraga Storage and other energy firms filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over grid interconnection costs. Member Shawn Seeley said the filing lists a roughly $157 million upgrade charge for Moraga's project and a window through November 4 to sign a connection agreement. Seeley separately reported Oakham received just $250 in state fees for reviewing Moraga's wetlands application but spent $7,000, fueling work on a local fee bylaw modeled on MACC guidance.

Participant Stephen LeVar said one line in the complaint read "roughly $157 million," with a 93-month build-out. The commission approved July 7 minutes and amended August 4/11 minutes to list LeVar as present, holding four other sets of minutes for later review. MassDEP must rule on Moraga's superseding order by November 5.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,564 words

Source: the Conservation meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.