Moraine and McConnells Mill state parks are to be in studies to determine whether it’s feasible to generate clean energy from existing dams.

McConnells Mill is in Lawrence County and Moraine is in Butler County.

Those projects would integrate hydroelectric generation equipment into existing dam structures.

The studies are being done by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, an organization that works to bring residents, state government and businesses together to address environmental issues.

The council said generating clean energy by using existing structures would reduce the environmental impacts at the parks and save the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources money on utility costs.

John Norbeck, DCNR’s deputy secretary for state parks and forestry, said hydroelectric power would be an “excellent complement to existing solar installations and small wind turbines we have at several of our state parks and forests.”

On Thursday, the council said it had received a $20,000 grant from the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund to do the studies at the parks. They should be done this fall, the council said.

A third park being studied as part of the program is Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County.