To the editor,

What does a biosolid sludge dryer; electric vehicle charging stations; and the Mann Valley Business Park all have in common? They are all coming to River Falls in the very near future – and they each require a hell of a lot of electricity.

This will come at a time when our City Council is collaborating with the Army Corps of Engineers to spend over $20,000,000 in tax -payer money to tear out our safe . . . reliable . . . renewable energy producing Junction Falls hydroelectric dam. A dam that is community owned and operated and delivers between 1 and 1.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. City leaders proclaim their investment in sustainability. But just at the time when our city is growing and needing more electricity, our City Council plans to spend tens of millions of dollars to tear out a source of reliable electricity, and lose millions of kWhrs of green energy. In addition, we will then have to purchase back that energy, at market rates, to cover the growing needs of our community.

Junction Falls Dam was reconstructed in 1990 and given a service life until 2065. The reconstruction cost $3 million in today’s dollars. City taxpayers and municipal rate payers have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars for a license to generate until 2063. The City Council and the Army Corps are planning to spend five times what we have already paid to throw out our sustainable energy investment.

Junction Falls dam is serving us well. Its presence is not a threat to the environment. It’s a source of positive-cash flow to the utilities, and if electric rates are raised, the revenue

from producing a million kWhrs will substantially increase our utility revenues, without any additional costs. For more information, check out FriendsofLakeGeorge.org

Patricia LaRue

River Falls