St. Louis, Mo. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has concluded a legal agreement

with Price Dam Partnership, Ltd., to move ahead on designing a possible hydroelectric power

generating plant at the Melvin Price Dam near Alton, Ill. The agreement follows a previous

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permit and license obtained by the Price

Dam Partnership, Ltd., to pursue the project.

   While this does not guarantee final construction of this project, it allows the Price Dam

Partnership to proceed on detailed investigation and design of a hydroelectric power plant at

the Melvin Price facility and if feasible, construction.

   The purpose of the agreement is to set forth in detail, responsibilities of the applicant

and the Corps. It clearly states that any plans that may be developed must not interfere with

the original congressionally authorized purpose of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, which is

support to navigation on the Mississippi River.

   The Price Dam Partnership lists offices in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Aiken, S.C., and is

involved in other hydroelectric power initiatives nationwide.

   The Corps of Engineers has long supported renewable, sustainable electrical power

generation efforts in the United States. The Corps embarked on building hydropower

generating capability before World War II and today generates about one-fourth of the

nation’s renewable hydropower, or three percent of the nation’s electricity needs. That

extrapolates to about 100 billion kilowatt hours annually, or enough electricity to supply 10

million American homes.

   Since the 1970s, the Corps’ emphasis has shifted from developing hydropower to

cooperating with non-federal power generating utilities such as municipalities, electric utilities

and independent power producers to produce power at Corps facilities.

   One stipulation of the agreement between the Corps and Price is for the firm to

provide free electrical power for the Melvin Price Locks and Dam facility.