Hydro Project Targets West Virginia's New Cumberland Dam
Published Date: 9/30/2025
Notice
Summary
Current Hydro Project 19, LLC wants to build a new hydroelectric power project at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in West Virginia. The government is now reviewing the environmental impact and asking the public to share their thoughts by October 27, 2025. This project could bring clean energy but also affects local land and water, so your input matters!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
New 19.999 MW hydro plant proposed
A new hydroelectric project is proposed at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam in Hancock County, West Virginia. The project would install two Kaplan turbine-generators with a total installed capacity of 19.999 megawatts and an estimated average annual generation of 132.4 gigawatt hours, and would occupy 2.82 acres of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-administered federal land.
Public comment opportunity and NEPA schedule
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has accepted the application for environmental analysis and is asking the public to file comments by 5:00 p.m. ET on October 27, 2025, with reply comments due by 5:00 p.m. ET on November 10, 2025. The Commission notes a shortened NEPA review schedule tied to a fee under section 112 of NEPA and is awaiting Council on Environmental Quality notice.
Water quality certification filing deadline
The project applicant must file a copy of the water quality certification, proof of the certifying agency’s receipt, or evidence of a waiver with FERC by 5:00 p.m. ET on November 24, 2025. Failure to file one of these items by that date would leave the record without the required water quality certification documentation for the project.
Project operation uses Corps flow rules
The proposed project would operate in a run-of-release mode, generating only from flows made available by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Corps would continue to regulate water elevation and discharge according to its current operation guidelines. The project outflow would equal project inflow as managed by Corps daily operation guidelines and directives.
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