NEW ENERGY IN THE EAST RIVER

Will New Energy hit the Big Apple and make the Big Time?

East River becomes a green zone
Colleen Long, April 13, 2007 (AP via Yahoo News

WHO
Verdant Power and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

WHAT
Six 16-foot-diameter windmill-like turbines will be positioned in the East River to convert the flow of tidal water into electricity.

WHEN
This is the first time river tide energy has been installed in the U.S. The installation is a prototype which might be applied at larger capacities in rivers like the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence.

WHERE
Manhattan’s East River.

WHY
Athough the intermittent and changing tidal flow means the turbines will only generate power 77% of the time, they will generate 10-megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes. The primary value of the marginal amount of power generated by the project is expected to be evident during high electricity-demand periods.
There is some concern the turbines will interfere with striped bass, herring, smelt and sturgeon migrating between the river and the ocean.

QUOTES
"We're looking for the most cost-effective way to get the most energy out of moving water while having a positive impact on the environment," said Verdant Power President Trey Taylor. "We picked New York on purpose, because the regulations are so strict, and because the East River is a tidal strait, there is a high current…You know what they say about New York: If you can make it here ... The biggest source of power is burning oil, coal…That contributes to greenhouse gases, and in a city where this many people live, the idea of having a clean energy source is a real appeal."