PELLA, Iowa – The official groundbreaking of the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project (RRHP) took place Aug. 13 at Lake Red Rock near Pella, Iowa.
The project is a retrofit of an existing Army Corps of Engineers dam on the Des Moines River that will produce 36 megawatts of power, with the capacity to generate up to 55 megawatts during peak seasons; enough to power about 18,000 homes. Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) is building the project, which is being financed by Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (WMMPA). RRHP is expected to be completed in 2018, at which point it will be the second-largest hydropower facility in Iowa.