The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday to allow local control of two hydropower dams. The legislation was authored by Chris Murphy. Canton, in cooperation with Avon and Burlington is one step closer to generating its own power.

Murphy and Dick Barlow, Canton's First Selectman, have been pushing for town operation of the Collinsville dams as city, state and federal governments look for ways to provide cleaner, domestic power sources to consumers. The Collinsville dams, once retrofitted, are expected to produce about two megawatts of power, enough to power more than 1,500 homes.

"Bringing these two dormant dams back in service makes sense for Canton and the surrounding communities, and this project could become a shining example for the rest of the state and country as we look for cleaner ways to power our homes and businesses," said Murphy.

The Collinsville dams were built in the 18th and 19th centuries to power the Collins Company, which closed in the 1960s.

Although the dams are now owned by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), operating licenses are issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The newly approved legislation will provide the town with the right to operate the dams by allowing for the reinstatement of existing inactive FERC licenses.

The legislation would also require the FERC to solicit additional public comment and new environmental data before taking any action, ensuring that the river's health and ecology is fully protected. The state legislature passed legislation allowing the town of Canton to operate the dams.

The bill has a couple more hurdles before the town can take over the licenses - U.S. Senate and President Obama.