COLUMBUS — In a letter sent last week to member communities set to purchase power from the proposed 1,000-MW American Municipal Power Generation Station in Letart Falls, American Municipal Power-Ohio President and CEO Marc Gerken assured members of the company’s commitment to the project and members, as well as answered critics.

Gerken told the 81 member communities that in recent months “a lot of misinformation has been forwarded to you and officials in other participating communities from activist groups opposed to project. Groups like Ohio Citizen Action have used this project to advance their own agenda and support their fundraising efforts, many of the canvassers do not live in your community and are being compensated for their work.”

Gerken went on to say: “Along the way these groups have demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to understand the complicated issues involved in not only the AMPGS project, but all of the generation assets under development by AMP-Ohio on behalf of our member communities.”

Gerken then pointed out what, to him, makes AMP-Ohio “fundamentally different” than other utility entities. He cited the company being owned and governed by its member communities, saying from the start the AMPGS project has had oversight by the AMP-Ohio Board of Trustees, the project team and Participants Committee, each of which has numerous member communities represented.

Gerken said AMP-Ohio is developing projects not limited to the AMPGS to yield a “balanced, reliable and responsible generation portfolio, which in addition to providing insulation from the volatile market, will reduce participants’ emissions footprint by increasing the amount of renewable generation in their portfolios and reducing the purchase of power from older, less-efficient plants.”

AMP-Ohio is currently developing multiple hydroelectric projects and a contract in excess of $300 million has been executed with York, Pa.-based Voith Siemens to manufacture the turbines and generators for the first three of these projects. AMP-Ohio is in the feasibility or development stage on three other similar projects, two on the Ohio River and one on the New River in West Virginia. AMP-Ohio also built and operates on behalf of its members the Belleville Hydroelectric Plant which provides 42-MW of power and will also own 49 percent of the 70-MW Greenup Hydroelectric Plant in Hamilton. AMP-Ohio is also considering the development of additional wind generation resources and currently completing wind monitoring efforts in Clyde as well as reviewing potential solar generation projects.

Gerken said: “The generation asset development strategy that AMP-Ohio is pursuing makes sense in every way. The groups opposing the AMPGS project have displayed a level of intellectual dishonesty that is beyond comprehension. They have used the project to bolster their fundraising efforts, in some cases asking for contributions from individuals as part of their door-to-door canvassing. They have not taken the time to truly understand this organization or the project under development.”

Gerken also stated although AMP-Ohio “understands the role of energy efficiency” and “we are leading the way in terms of deployment of renewable resources in the region...renewable are not going to solve all of the challenges currently being experienced. Coal needs to be part of the solution - and we firmly believe that coal generation can be developed in a responsible fashion.”

In the Sunday Times-Sentinel, more excerpts from Gerken’s letter addressing the rumors on just how the downturn in the economy is affecting, or not affecting, the AMPGS project.