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Hydropower project proposed for Applegate Dam By Tony Boom Nov 25, 2022 01:19 PM A A Two local partners are in the early stages of an effort to create hydropower at the Applegate Lake dam. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Creation of an electric energy-generating facility at the base of Applegate Dam is in its startup phase with a lot of hurdles to clear before construction could begin in 2031. “There are quite a few challenges to this project. We are analyzing those concerns, and we are trying to be proactive,” said David Holick, who is heading the Applegate Power effort, which includes two partners. The partnership is seeking a local public body to serve as an agent for grants to get the project into the preliminary stage. Holick made a presentation to Jacksonville City Council in October, but the city has decided not to be involved. Many grants are set up for involvement by public bodies because the financial responsibility is pretty significant for the size of the infrastructure project proposed, said Holick, who lives in the Applegate. He is now talking with other municipalities in the area. Two Oregon Department of Energy grants would require public body participation, but two newer federal grant programs wouldn’t have that requirement. Jacksonville declined to serve as the public agency for grants for several reasons, said City Administrator Jeff Alvis. “There could be environmental issues. Jacksonville didn’t need to have its name on it,” said Alvis. Potential benefits to the city also don’t outweigh the staff time the city would have expended in a grant agency role, he said. Nevertheless, the town supports the concept and has written a letter in support. “We aren’t going to alter the flow of the river in any way. The people who use the river for irrigation now will have that maintained,” said Holick. “Flood control, wildlife and recreation are still the primary purposes of the dam. We are trying to harness the energy at a rate that isn’t detrimental to the initial purposes.” An Oakridge National Laboratory document that came out in 2019 analyzed dam sites nationwide that might host a hydro project. Applegate Dam made the list of the top 294 sites, with a ranking of 88th, and was the top site in Oregon. In 2014 the federal government pulled the plug on a utility company’s more than decadelong effort to build a hydropower generation system at the dam, saying the company’s work window had expired. The license holder, AG Hydro, failed to begin construction of the 10-megawatt generator at the dam by the December 2013 deadline, despite receiving a two-year extension on its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license granted in 2009. “Being in the early phases, we are really just trying to get our feet underneath us,” said Holick. “At this stage, we are talking to the major stakeholders about interest and concerns.” Applegate Power had talked with different groups, including A Greater Applegate, a community-building organization. The group listed a hydroelectric plant at the dam in its vision plan. Applegate Power also has reached out to local state legislators. The project would be rated at 11 megawatts and could produce 44 gigawatt-hours per year from turbines that could serve over 5,000 homes. The plant could prevent the burning of 70 tons of coal per day and reduce carbon dioxide input into the atmosphere by 51 tons per day. Modern turbines allow 99% of fish to pass through. “We are looking to work with fish regulatory organization(s) to make sure the fish life cycle is not impacted,” said Holick. Currently fish are trapped at the base of the dam and transported upstream by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the facility. An 80-year lifespan is envisioned for the facility. The current dam is 40 years old and considered in good shape, Holick told the council. “The footprint is relativity small. You are looking at a couple of buildings at the base of the dam,” said Horlick. Power lines would be buried under Upper Applegate Road and run to a substation in Ruch. Drilling rather than digging trenches would be used to install the power lines. The project would be hooked to the power grid. Two different climate models suggest annual precipitation in the area will increase, but there will be less snowpack. “That makes the dam even more important,” said Holick. “Costs are significant. Funding is difficult. Equity venture capitalists are reticent this early in the process, so we are going after grants,” said Holick Application will be made for two Oregon Department of Energy grants. One will be for $100,000 for renewable energy, and the other will be $100,000 for community resiliency. A $200,000 grant from Energy Trust of Oregon also will be sought. A U.S. Department of Agriculture rural assistance grant is another possibility A 10-year time line is projected. A preliminary permit application could be submitted next year. License approval could come by mid-2027, with construction approval coming by mid-2029. Major equipment contracts would be issued at that time. The generation plant could be finished by late 2031 and connected to the power grid beginning in early 2032. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].