According to the study conducted by the Center for Economic & Business research at Southeast Missouri State University, the capital investment would lead to more jobs and increase the state’s income by US$48M.
The original dam was destroyed in a breach and flood at the end of 2005, for which senior management at AmerenUE were subsequently slated by the Missouri Public Service Commission for a series poorly executed activities related to water level gauges and sensors.
In August 2007 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave conditional approval for reconstruction of the upper reservoir, and Ozark Constructors – a JV of dams specialist ASI Constructors and heavy civils firm Fred Weber – was hired in November.
The rebuild is to be project managed by Paul C Rizzo Associates, which will also be engineer of record on the scheme. It has also designed the RCC dam.
AmerenUE said that the bulk of the dam rebuild costs would come from insurance payouts. The new dam and the pumped storage plant is not expected to be back in action before late 2009.
