Advanced Hydro Solutions LLC of Fairlawn, Ohio, has proposed rebuilding the dam's generation equipment, which company officials estimate could produce enough electricity to power about 1200 homes. This would be the first Northeast Ohio dam to produce electricity in decades.
The 17.7m high dam, the largest on the Cuyahoga river, was built in 1912 and is owned by FirstEnergy. The dam provided water to power the Gorge hydroelectric power plant from 1914 to 1958. In January 2004, Advanced Hydro filed an application for a preliminary permit with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), for exclusive rights to explore the project for three years and to apply for a 50-year federal license to operate the plant.
Ohio now has only six dams that generate power.
