The City of Hamilton, Ohio and its partner, an association of municipally-owned power plants, desired to construct a hydroelectric plant on the Ohio River. To do this, they needed a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). For many years, a now-retired senator from Kentucky used the federal budget process to keep the license tied up for an investor-owned utility company that wanted to block the proposed hydroelectric project. The City and association engaged LNE Group to oversee the FERC licensing process, secure the license, and provide other project support activities.
Approach
Using its resources in Washington DC and Ohio, LNE Group executed a bi-partisan approach to secure the license and move the project forward. Working closely with then-Minority Leader John Boehner, LNE Group convened multiple meetings with FERC to advocate the license be switched from the Kentucky utility to Hamilton and its association partner.
Simultaneously, LNE Group gained support from Democrats and Republicans in the federal budget process to prevent the Kentucky senator from tying up the license. Both tactics worked, as FERC issued the license to Hamilton to construct the hydroelectric facility.
Result
After an investment of 2.5 million labor-hours and $685 million, the Meldahl Hydroelectric Facility began operation in 2016. With a capacity rating of more than 105 MW, the new facility will provide clean and renewable energy to more than 58,000 households over the next 100+ years. Without LNE Group’s intervention in the federal legislative and executive processes, the license would not have been secured and the plant would not have been built.
ExpertiseFederal Strategy Development & Execution Legislative & Regulatory Advocacy
