The nation’s first tidal energy power plant may take shape in New York’s East River, under a pilot project recommended for approval last month by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”). In December 2010, Verdant Power applied for a license to install 30 underwater turbines between Roosevelt Island and Queens, which would enable tidal power to be sold over the national electric grid for the first time ever.
Tidal power represents an often-overlooked but growing renewable energy source, more predicable than wind or solar power, but often encumbered by high start-up costs. The strong, fluctuating currents in the East River – which is actually a tidal strait between the New York Harbor and the Long Island Sound – make this water body an ideal location for the generation of tidal energy. Verdant previously tested six tidal turbines in the proposed project location; they were used to power a Gristedes supermarket and a parking garage on Roosevelt Island.
The need for FERC licensing and other federal approvals triggered the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), requiring an analysis of the project’s significant, adverse environmental impacts. On May 3, FERC released an Environmental Assessment reporting no such impacts, thereby allowing the project to move forward without a more intensive Environmental Impact Statement. In particular, with respect to local fisheries, FERC based its Finding of No Significant Impact on its finding of only “minimal impacts on aquatic resources” from Verdant’s prior turbines, and on the company’s plans to conduct additional monitoring throughout the phase-in of its new plant. The results of this monitoring, however, could affect analysis under NEPA for future tidal projects.
I simply love this project. it has been long in the permitting and some have even forgotten it was coming. Does anyone know how much of a role (%, total kwh, whatever) a comprehensive tidal power program could play in powering a modern coastal city like New York?
Comment by brendan — June 10, 2011 @ 1:13 pm
Great question. At full implementation, Verdant’s Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) pilot project is anticipated to produce 2.4 GWh of electricity per year. I haven’t seen city-specific estimates of New York’s tidal energy capacity, but a 2007 report from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) projected U.S. wave and current energy resource potential to be about 400 TWh/year, or roughly 10% of national electricity demand.
Comment by Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz — June 10, 2011 @ 4:58 pm
Excellent project. I’m not real familiar with the East River. Will all the energy production come large bursts when the tide goes out and the tide comes in, or does the East River “flow” all day? Thanks again for such a wonderful idea.
Comment by Tom Tomich — June 12, 2011 @ 8:17 pm
There are several different types of hydrokinetic energy, which generate electricity from the movement of water. The East River power plant is a tidal project, so it is powered by the ebb and flow of tides through a series of three-bladed, submerged turbines. While these flows are not continuous, they are predicable (a benefit for the current project), and in the East River they are relatively strong. Further offshore, there is the potential for “wave energy” plants which are not dependent on tidal fluctuations – one such project is in development off the coast of Oregon.
Comment by Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz — June 13, 2011 @ 9:58 am
Wave energy remains an elusive form of energy. A wave energy system was proposed for the island of Maui, Hawaii in 2007, but has yet to be installed. The costs of EIS and interconnection are in the hundreds of millions and the technology remains unproven. It’s a great opportunity, but it appears to be a decade away from reality.
Comment by Andrew Carson — June 14, 2011 @ 9:22 pm
Finely. I remember reading about this type of project in the late 1950′s just before I left NYC. I thought that I would not live long enough to see it allowed by the chronic complainers.
Comment by Don Conroy — June 22, 2011 @ 6:33 pm