January 31, 2008
Alamo Power Sends Letter to County Commissioners

By Dave Maxwell, Staff Writer

Lincoln County Commissioners on January 7 decided they would not apply at this time for the $2.3 million Economic Development Administration grant they had been considering to help build the necessary infrastructure at the Alamo Industrial Park. What is to happen now is that the County will use some of its own money to do some engineering studies at the Industrial Park to see “just what is needed there.”

Electric power is one of the most critical matters for the site and the County has been negotiating with the Lincoln County Power District and Alamo Power District #3 to provide service to the Industrial site. Albeit, problems do exist in the matter of who is going to pay for installing the power line to the Park.

During the Commission meeting January 22, County Manager John Lovelady gave a report on a letter his office had received from the Alamo Power District. Alamo Power General Manager Doug Miller wrote: “Alamo Power District #3 acknowledges that it has received a request to provide electrical service to the Alamo Industrial Park, as being developed by the Lincoln County Commission, and will provide electrical service to this site upon the following requirements:

1. Receipt of plans detailing electrical service requirements.
2. Upon satisfaction of all financial obligations of the developer to the Alamo Power District #3 for construction of electrical infrastructure facilities.
3. Construction of all required electrical infrastructure facilities to transmit and deliver electrical power to the site.
4. Subject to the availability of transmission capacity through the electric system of the Lincoln County Power District #1.

Electric service will be provided in accordance with Alamo Power District #3 rules, regulations, and tariffs for electric service.

The Alamo Power District #3 reserves the right to require the developer of the Alamo Industrial Park and/or tenants of the Alamo Industrial Park to enter into contracts for service prior to the commencement of electric service.”

In regards to the “will provide” Alamo Power had sent to the Commissioners, Lovelady said the letter would need to be included in the County’s next EDA grant application for Industrial Park funds. However, he was not sure the EDA would accept the letter, because of grant requirements, even if it was submitted with a grant application.