The project, which originally consisted of two dams along the river, was proposed as early as the 1960s by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to supply electricity to the railbelt region of Alaska (areas served by the Alaska Railroad), including the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks.

A 735-foot (224 m) dam would be built on the Susitna River about 120 miles (190 km) north of Anchorage, forming a 42-square-mile (110 km2) reservoir.

The dam would consistently produce between 280 and 300 megawatts of power, or about 2,800 GWh per year.

[1] The Susitna river, which drains into the Cook Inlet, is a major salmon spawning ground.

[1] On June 29, 2016, Alaska's governor Bill Walker vetoed the construction of the dam.