POMEROY — Two weeks ago while US Congressman Charlie Wilson was flying aboard Air Force One with President Barack Obama, the topic of how to keep Meigs County as a viable site for American Municipal Power was a topic of conversation, according to Wilson.

AMP has said it’s considering redesigning the Letart Falls site into a natural gas-fired power plant. However, for all the advantages the site had as a coal-fired power plant, there is a major hitch in the plan to convert the design to natural gas - namely, no gas line. Wilson said he has asked for $17 million in federal funds to run a natural gas line to the proposed plant, putting it at the top of his list for appropriations in his 12-county district.

Wilson said he received a favorable response from President Obama about the situation and two days after the conversation aboard Air Force One received a phone call from US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu saying the $17 million will be the top appropriation from the US Department of Energy in an upcoming spending bill.

During his Wednesday visit throughout Meigs County, Wilson made a stop in Racine which is the closest incorporated village near the AMP site. Wilson said he was waiting on a call from AMP concerning a meeting the company was having about the project yesterday. A call was made to AMP about this meeting though it was not returned by press time.

“I feel like a father waiting on a new baby,” Wilson said about the phone call and the $17 million appropriation request to install the gas line.

Southern Local Schools Superintendent Tony Deem expressed to Wilson his support of the plant and what it could mean to the district in terms of increasing the tax base. With Southern facing a critical bond issue to help construct an addition onto Southern Elementary to become the new Southern High School, having a company like AMP set up shop in the district would have a significant impact on funding the project, reducing the cost of the tax ticket for individuals.

“It’s no secret what AMP will do for that tax bill,” Deem said.

AMP is also reportedly looking at another site to possibly develop the natural gas-fired power plant which makes the $17 million appropriation even more critical.

“AMP is still a possibility...we have never let go of it,” Wilson said.

Also while in Racine, Wilson discussed the $200,000 he has asked for in federal appropriations to assist in the village’s riverbank stabilization project with Mayor J. Scott Hill. Hill also reminded Wilson of the struggles small villages face finding matching grant money for essential projects and finding funds to keep police protection on the streets.

Wilson repeatedly came back to growing the local tax base to help with this funding which includes getting AMP to choose Meigs County as its site for a natural gas-fired power plant.