AMP is developing the five projects at existing dams on the Ohio River. Last summer, the company broke ground on the first project at the Cannelton Locks and Dam near Hawesville, Kentucky. This second project is being developed at the dam near Smithland, Kentucky.
Mahan will pursue completion of the cofferdam design, with review and approval from the consulting engineering firm, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago regional office of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Marc Gerken, president and CEO of AMP, said: “AMP is embarking on an aggressive generation asset development effort designed to diversify the power supply portfolio of our member communities and provide insulation from the volatile wholesale electric market.
“Hydroelectric generation is an important component of AMP’s power supply strategy. It not only offers competitively priced power and further diversification, but in this region, hydro generation is far superior to other renewable generation technologies. We’re excited to move forward on this second project.”
The Smithland hydroelectric project has an estimated capacity of 76MW and represents a capital investment of approximately $432m. The construction phase will employ 200-400 workers during the approximately four year construction cycle.
