A CONSTANT SOURCE

development of environmentally conscious power supply for our system. As early as the 1840s, hydropower generated from the Hamilton Hydraulic System was fueling manufacturing in Hamilton. Today, more than 50 percent of the city’s power is sourced from renewable energy. Hamilton operates and maintains a majority stake in both the Meldahl and Greenup Hydroelectric Power Plants on the Ohio River, and generation rights to a number of other carbon-free assets. Additionally, these hydroelectric resources provide our customers a reliable source of energy and long term price stability.

For our every day customers the renewable energy certificates (RECs) associated with our hydroelectric plants are sold to the market helping save on power costs. Once the RECs are sold, that energy is not considered to be “renewable.” While the value of those credits changes with the energy market, as of this writing this practice is saving our average customer more than 2 percent on their electric costs. For customers who want renewable energy there is our EcoSmart Choice program. Commercial and industrial customers can opt into the program, run through American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP), that supports renewable energy development from a variety of sources, such as hydroelectric, landfill gas, solar and wind facilities. EcoSmart Choice allows Hamilton customers to add an allocation of their electricity usage to renewable energy certificates (RECs) to receive up to 100 percent green energy.

A special thanks to the late Jim Blount and the Lane Public Library’s Historical Collection for historical reference materials used in the creation of this article.

Photos used are courtesy of the George C. Cummins "Remember When" Photograph Collection at the Hamilton Lane Library.