Greetings! As a special perk of your support, we’re providing you this sneak peek at the next “Ask the Corps” article (to be published in the Pella Chronicle and Knoxville Journal-Express).
The Corps just received a new three dimensional model of the dam showing how it will look once the proposed hydropower plant is completed. Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), the company developing the facility, provided the model to help lake users visualize the project. It will also be used as a teaching aid for agency staff to explain the construction and operation of the new facility.
The project is currently in design phase. Construction is slated to start sometime in 2013. According to MRES, the powerplant will generate an average of 36.4 megawatts of electricity – enough energy to provide power for 18,000 homes. At certain times of the year when water is plentiful, it will be capable of generating up to 55 megawatts.
MRES expects that the hydropower facility will become operational by early 2016. It will be the second largest hydropower generating facility in Iowa, second only to the plant located near Keokuk along the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam No. 19 (approximately 112 megawatts produced at Keokuk facility).
The model is on display at the Red Rock Visitor Center, which is open 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily through Labor Day (call for hours after the holiday weekend). For more information, call the Corps office at (641) 828-7522 or (641) 628-8690. Additional details are also available on the MRES website: http://www.mrenergy.com/contents/hydroelectricity.