WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) toured the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) hydroelectric power plant in Ozark on Tuesday. 

Summer is the time of peak power usage and Ozark Powerhouse plays a critical role in ensuring the power grid has the capability to support the demand. Renewable energy sources such as coal, solar, wind and water are necessary to decrease the possibility of brownouts and blackouts.

“It was an honor to visit the Ozark Powerhouse with my friend Senator John Boozman. Hydropower is an incredible low-cost supplement to our electric grid to prevent regional brownouts and blackouts as demand fluctuates. I am proud to host such a vital clean energy source in the Fourth District. Plants such as these provide excellent economic benefits to the Ozark area as we look to develop every energy source to its greatest potential,” Westerman said.

“We need to unleash American-made energy. The Ozark Powerhouse is an excellent example of our ability to provide clean, affordable and reliable energy. I’m committed to working with Congressman Westerman and my colleagues to advance policies supporting a strategy that enhances our energy supply to meet the evolving needs of families, businesses and communities,” Boozman said. 

Corps officials told Westerman and Boozman the Ozark Powerhouse is running all five of its units for the first time in 20 years and showed them the recent repairs that brought the 50-year-old facility back to full strength.

The Ozark Powerhouse delivers power to a six-state region.  

Boozman, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Westerman, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, have oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.