Macomb, IL – If a feasibility study works out, a hydro-power plant could be built on the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 18.
Jeff Auser of BPUS says his firm nas applied for permission to construct more than 30 powerhouses near Corps of Engineers Dams throughout the US.
He says the dams were built to maintain a shipping channel and for flood control. However, he says water that normally goes over a spillway could be used to generate power.
The application on file at the Federal energy Regulatory Commission lists a 23.5 megawatt plant with five turbines. It could supply power to more than 7,000 homes.
More information:
If the federal permit is granted, Auser says his firm would have three years to investigate the possibilities and do a feasibility study.
BPUS operates more than 70 hydro-power generation units in New York. they range from 500,000 watts to more than 50 megawatts.
The application states the plant would be built between Lock and Dam 18 and Henderson Creek.