A proposal to develop a new hydro power generating facility at Locks 22 and 23 on the Otonabee River is a major step closer to being realized with the approval of an interim license by the federal government allowing the project to proceed to construction.

The license was issued by the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, today in Ottawa.

“The project developer, Trent Rapids Power Corporation, has met all regulatory and consultation requirements for the project to proceed,” said Don O’Leary, Vice President, Administration at Trent.  “The granting of the license means the project construction will begin this spring after three years of public consultations, hearings and appeals through numerous approval agencies.  The University is very grateful for the federal government’s support and the important role that local MP Dean Del Mastro has served as an advocate for this important clean energy project.”

The building of a second hydroelectric power plant just upstream from the Trent campus was first considered in the early 1990s. The site of the proposed facility is on the west bank of the Otonabee River adjacent to Locks 22 and 23 on private lands, lands leased from Trent University and the Federal Crown. The project will take water from above Lock 23 and divert a portion of the flow via a canal to a generating facility below Lock 22, producing approximately eight mega watts of electricity for the Peterborough community.

Trent Rapids Power Corporation was incorporated to develop the hydroelectric generating capacity at Locks 22 and 23 in Peterborough, Ontario. The Corporation is a joint venture of Peterborough Utilities Inc. and Shaman Development Corporation.   More information about Trent Rapids Power Corporation is available at http://www.trentrapidspowercorp.ca