There are now three proposals for installing hydropower or hydrokinetic turbines in the Niagara River:
1.
Hydrokinetic developer, Free Flow Power Corp., is asking FERC
for a preliminary permit, on behalf of its FFP Niagara Project 1 LLC, to
study the 17.5-MW Niagara River hydrokinetic project (No. 13098) above the
falls. That project would utilize 875 Free Flow Power hydrokinetic units grouped
in matrices placed along 17.5 miles of the Niagara River from Peace Bridge, at
the outlet of Lake Erie, to the lower end of Grand Island, above Niagara Falls.
Free Flow, of Manchester, Mass., is pursuing development of more than 60
in-stream kinetic hydropower projects, many on the Mississippi River. (HNN
1/23/08) <http://www.hydronews.net/story.asp?story_id=3145&worldregion_id=2>
(c) HCI Publications, 2008 (six turbines are pictured in an
array above). To view a copy of their application, click
here or go to
www.ferc.gov website, go to their elibrary, and do a search for P-13098
filed in January 08 or call them at 202-502-8371.
2. Hydrokinetic power developer Hydro
Green Energy LLC of Houston has filed applications with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission for a preliminary permit to study development of 70-MW New
York 1 (No. 13112--to view application, click here) to utilize 36 Hydro Green generating units 1.9 miles
downstream from Niagara Falls, N.Y., immediately below the area known as the
Whirlpool. Hydro Green designs, builds, and operates hydrokinetic energy
systems that can be deployed in rivers, tidal areas, and oceans. The systems
generate electricity from moving water without a need to construct dams,
impoundments, or conduits. The company already holds more than a dozen
preliminary permits for projects in Alaska and Mississippi, many utilizing
existing Corps of Engineers dams.
3. FERC said it also received a second application from Hydro
Green for a permit for 70-MW New York 2 (No. 13113--to view application, click
here) to utilize 54 Hydro Green
units four miles downstream of Niagara Falls, N.Y., immediately above the
Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.
If granted by FERC, a preliminary permit gives an applicant
priority for a site over competing applicants, while the permit holder studies
the
site and makes financial arrangements necessary to apply for a license. A permit
does not authorize construction.
Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER'S Position:
Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPERâ has filed a Motion to Intervene. To look at this document, click here.
For More Information:
FERC has a policy statement and a white paper on hydrokinetic power. Visit this page: http://ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/indus-act/hydrokinetics.asp and look for the boxes toward the bottom of the page.
One of the experts on this subject in the United States is John Seebach, Director, Hydropower Reform Campaign, American Rivers organization (www.americanrivers.org). In a message to Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER, he had this to say:
"The technology is untested in the real world.
In theory, it could present a good alternative to dams for generating
hydropower. But
I think it's also easy to imagine them having all sorts of serious environmental
impacts. The problem is that all of this is pretty much
speculation. To my knowledge, there's only one developer (Verdant, at its
Roosevelt Island project in the east river) that has put actual
turbines in an actual river for testing, and in that case, both turbines failed
after a couple of hundred hours of operation. It's pretty hard to
assess either the technical feasibility or the impacts from such a paltry amount
of real-world information."
For more information about the Verdant project in the East River, Manhattan, check out these websites: http://www.verdantpower.com/what-initiative and http://www.earthportal.org/news/?p=520 and http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/76686 and http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6344642
For anyone wishing to file comments, protests or notices to intervene for the Hydro Green projects (the deadline is July 6th), instructions for filing by paper or electronic filing (preferred) can be found at the FERC website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Websites:
http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com/
http://www.bwea.com/marine/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity
http://www.enercon.de/en/_home.htm