The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently bestowed the agency's first license for a tidal-energy project to a power provider in New York.
FERC officials awarded the license to Verdant Power Inc., which plans to develop an underwater turbine system that will harness tidal power in New York's East River, generating energy for the millions of people who live in and around New York City. Bloomberg reports the power provider plans to sell the energy created by the underwater clean energy system to Consolidated Edison.
Verdant is a developer of marine clean energy technologies and over the past few years has been endeavoring to secure the requisite permitting from FERC and state agencies. With its newly granted 10-year contract, the company will "demonstrate the commercial viability" of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project, according to Verdant president Trey Taylor.
Moreover, Taylor noted Verdant plans to construct as many as 30 turbines in the East River. They will stretch across more than 21 acres of underwater land, dotting the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound in the New York Harbor. Renew Grid News reports that FERC had already studied the project's potential environmental impact, concluding in May 2010 that it would not significantly impact local ecosystems or marine life.
Verdant first proposed the project in 2002. Regulatory officials from New York lent their approval to the underwater turbine system in December. The company plans to construct the underwater renewable energy project in three discrete phases, according to Renew Grid. What's more, Verdant officials aid the company would operate the system remotely and employ a specially designated team of technicians to maintain the clean energy system.
The 1,050-kilowatt underwater project will use the river's natural tidal flow to produce electricity – without the need for dams. When completed, the clean energy system could provide electricity for nearly 10,000 residents in the area. FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff noted the organization's decision to grant the license "is a major step in the effort to help our country meet our renewable-energy goals," affirming it would aid in the "exploration of new renewable technologies while protecting the environment."
FERC officials have increasingly supported renewable energy and smart grid projects over the past few years. With the scheduled retirement of some of the nation's oldest power plants, experts have urged the government to increase its investment and support of alternative energy generation.