Army Civil Works announces invitations to apply for dam safety loans; $763 million in potential federal financing for Michigan

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today announced the first set of proposals being invited to apply for loans under the new Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP). Two of the invited applicants are in Michigan.

The city of Ann Arbor has been invited to apply for $14 million in potential federal financing to complete the rehabilitation of the 100-year-old Barton Dam, a hydroelectric dam that plays an important role in the city’s portfolio of carbon footprint reduction. The impoundment of Barton Dam is the primary source of drinking water for the city.

Additionally, Consumer Energy Company, the hydropower provider, has been invited to apply for $749 million in potential federal financing to complete safety projects associated with six hydropower dams located throughout Michigan.    

CWIFP is a new federal financing program to provide loans and loan guarantees for borrowers for safety projects to maintain, upgrade, and repair non-federal dams.  The applications in the fiscal 2023 selection round include requests for financing of critical infrastructure projects such as dam repairs, dam replacements, seismic retrofits, and spillway capacity increases. The 18 proposals being invited to submit full applications span 12 states and if selected will improve the safety of dams across the country with most of the requests providing benefits to economically disadvantaged communities.

“With this announcement, we are facilitating efforts to address the condition of dam infrastructure in the United States. The program will help to improve the resilience of this water infrastructure in the face of climate change-driven extreme weather,” said Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including funding for CWIFP, is spurring improvements and helping to ensure the safety and security of the nation’s water infrastructure.”

Invited applicants have one year to complete and submit their full application. View the full list of selections and obtain more information about CWIFP at https://www.usace.army.mil/CWIFP. For more information, please contact the CWIFP Team at CWIFP@usace.army.mil.