St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan made a power play Tuesday to convince the province to support a hydro project proposed for the Garden City.

McMullan made a plea to Ontario’s Infrastructure and Energy Minister Brad Duguid to open the province’s power grid to the city’s planned four-megawatt hydropower dam on Twelve Mile Creek.

In April, the Ontario Power Authority rejected a bid to plug the proposed Shickluna plant into the province’s power grid.

But McMullan said he’s hopeful Duguid can turn things around for the $38-million plan, which is expected to produce enough electricity to power at least 4,000 homes.

“We’re hopefully at the final approval stages for that. We need to get the (feed-in tariff) contract to access the grid and that’s through OPA,” McMullan said after his meeting Tuesday during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s 2010 Conference in Windsor.

“(Duguid is) the minister of energy, that’s his other hat, and has some involvement with OPA and we asked for his ongoing support.”

McMullan said he reminded Duguid that former energy minister, George Smitherman, toured the site in April 2009 and at the time said he was confident the province would buy the electricity it produces.

“We would like to see that project come to fruition. It’s a $38-million construction project that would create jobs as well as an investment for the people of St. Catharines.”

The city’s taxpayers are expected to benefit from $600,000 to $700,000 in annual profits from Shickluna, which would be built near Fourth Avenue.

This spring the project was nearly scuttled over concerns the dam would harm the endangered American eel. St. Catharines Hydro has agreed to add a $1.2-million fish ladder, and met with officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to determine other steps that might need to be taken to protect the eels.

McMullan said if the OPA gives its approval, the city could start construction on Shickluna as early as this fall.

“I think the McGuinty government is committed to green energy projects. I think Minister Duguid, in particular, is committed to them. It doesn’t get much greener than hydroelectric.”

Most of the cost of the project would be covered by a low-interest loan from the Ontario Strategic Infrastructure Financing Authority. The money would be paid off over about 20 years by Shickluna power profits.

McMullan said he also spoke with Duguid about a long-term plan for funding future infrastructure projects, hydro subsidies for local industry and bringing the GO train to Niagara in time for the Pan American Games in 2015.

via St. Catharines mayor makes power play – St. Catharines Standard – Ontario, CA.