So.
The city would make enough money to cover the bond repayments for 50 and provide power for city services and residents. Repaying the bonds could cost $2.6 if one plant was built and $8.5 million if three plants were built.
"When we looked at this in 1983, there wasn't the public support for it," Klingner said. "Now we have interest from the utilities to buy power from us. We looked at windpower, but the utilities weren't interested and that's why it wasn't feasible."
Repaying the bonds over a 50 year period would cut into the gross revenues, which could reach $13 million annually.
Each plant will has $675,000 in operational, management and maintenance costs built in. Alderman Steve Duesterhaus, (D-2nd Ward), asked if the hydropower plants would be a major permanent job creator for the city, besides the jobs created in building the facilities.
"I don't think it's too soon to talk about how we hold this asset," Duesterhaus said.
“Those two (Clarksville and Winfield) have even greater potential because they have much more drop (in water elevation) than the ones we’ve been entertaining,” he said. That could translate into even more production of electricity.
