Eagle Creek Renewable Energy to reopen Virginia hydro plant following sale by Appalachian Power

Appalachian Power recently completed a transaction to sell the Reusens hydroelectric facility on the James River near Lynchburg, Virginia, which closed in 2011, to Eagle Creek Renewable Energy.

Eagle Creek, a New Jersey-based renewable energy firm, plans to reopen the facility, saying that several
new jobs would be created as the plant again begins generating approximately 40,000 megawatt-hours (Mwh) of energy.

“Eagle Creek is pleased to enter the Lynchburg area and is committed to returning the Reusens Hydro to service with the same level of professional safe operation practices as demonstrated by Appalachian Power for many years,” Eagle Creek’s CEO Bud Cherry said.

Cherry also noted Eagle Creek’s purchase of the Schoolfield Hydro facility in Danville, Virginia and cited plans to expand further in the area.

The Reusens facility began in the mid-1830s with an early canal and lock system on the James River. The dam has been producing electricity since 1903. American Gas & Electric Co., American Electric Power’s predecessor, rebuilt the plant in the late 1920s. Appalachian Power is a utility subsidiary of American Electric Power.

The plant now includes five generating units that have a total capacity of 12.5 megawatts (MW). Appalachian Power had been exploring possibilities of selling the plant for several years before closing the deal with Eagle Creek.

“Appalachian Power is focused on investments in our system that best serve our customers,” Chris Beam, Appalachian’s president and CEO, said. “The sale of Reusens to Eagle Creek allows the dam to remain part of powering the central Virginia community, while enhancing our ability to focus on our core operations in Virginia.”