Mississippi Valley Division Commander Major General Michael Wehr, Rock Island District Commander Colonel Craig Baumgartner, and others from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attended a presentation Tuesday concerning the development and progress at the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project.
They also toured the Project site guided by officials from Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), the organization that is building the hydroelectric plant at the Red Rock Dam.
Pella City Administrator Mike Nardini welcomed the Corps officers to the Pella area and spoke highly of the relationship Pella has developed with MRES since becoming a member in 2011 and he praised the positive impacts the Project is having on the area.
MRES CEO Tom Heller welcomed General Wehr and Colonel Baumgartner to the site and MRES Power Supply and Operations Director Ray Wahle gave a presentation on the background and development of the Project.
The group then visited the upstream and downstream construction sites as well as an onsite warehouse that holds massive pieces of equipment that will be part of the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project powerhouse.
The Project, which will provide enough clean, reliable hydroelectricity to power about 18,000 homes is projected to be completed in 2018.
MRES is an organization of 60 member municipalities, including Pella, in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each of these members owns and operates an electric distribution system.
