Pennsylvania's environmental secretary today called a planned $275 million expansion of PPL's Holtwood Dam "a milestone in Pennsylvania's pursuit of clean energy production."

"Clean energy is an imperative for our environment, our economy and our security," Kathleen McGinty said in prepared remarks for a scheduled afternoon press conference along the Susquehanna River at Holtwood.

She said that the state Department of Environmental Protection has worked closely with PPL "to craft this proposal in a way that helps meet our energy needs, while also addressing the environmental and ecological considerations associated with this kind of expansion project."

PPL today filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the expansion, which the utility hopes to begin next year and complete by 2012.

PPL unveiled plans for the project in March 2006.

Included would be a doubling of electricity from hydro power at the 98-year-old dam.

A second power plant would be built along the Lancaster County shoreline on the site of an old coal-fired plant that PPL razed in 2000.

"This project would have significant environmental benefits while helping to meet Pennsylvania's need for new sources of renewable electricity generation," William H. Spence, PPL's executive vice president, said today.

The additional power would supply enough electricity for 100,000 homes. The power would go into the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland pooled grid and would not be earmarked solely for local customers.

The project includes major upgrades to disappointing fish lifts at the dam that were built in 1997 to help migrating American shad, eels and other traditional migratory fish move upriver past the dam.

Restoration of shad to the Susquehanna has been a major goal of Pennsylvania, Maryland and the federal government for decades. Fish lifts have been in place at the Conowingo Dam near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay since 1972.

However, the lifts at Holtwood have not performed as well as officials had hoped.

Plans are to stop spillage of water over the top of the dam that confuses fish and to erect a barrier to steer migrating fish toward the dam's tailrace and fish lifts.

PPL plans to rebuild two public boat launches it owns on Lake Aldred, above the dam.

Concerns have been raised by the public on the effects the dam expansion would have on recreation.

Plans to reduce the water level during weekdays has upset some boaters. And whitewater enthusiasts fear the loss of their watery playground immediately below the dam because of planned excavation of the riverbed for the shad improvements.

PPL says it has held public meetings and has been working with private sporting groups and individuals to address their concerns.

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