Hastings County continues to be optimistic about the proposed Marmora Pumped Storage project to provide clean energy.

For a number of years Northland Power Company has been promoting the plan that would create and store energy at the old Marmora Mine property. Hastings County Warden Rick Philips tells Quinte News, following Thursday’s county council meeting, the provincial government held some meetings in August on the issue, and he expects more in October.

These are with all parties concerned and the power agencies.

The warden says it’s an important issue.

The proposed man-made waterfall at the old Marmora mine property would create and store energy, to be fed to the Ontario hydro grid. Officials predict it would create about 45 permanent jobs.

It’s expected the Marmora Pumped Storage development would produce more than twice the energy produced by a similar project by Ontario Power Generation in Niagara Falls.