First Commercial Hydrokinetic Turbine Installed in US

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The United States’ first hydrokinetic turbine was recently installed in the Mississippi River. The turbine, which harnesses power from moving water, is downstream from a hydroelectric-plant dam.

With a production capacity of only 35 KW, Minnesota’s turbine isn’t exactly a heavy hitter, but it will increase the dam’s capacity by over 5 percent.

It also signals the beginning of a new energy trend. Hydro Green, the company behind the project, plans on installing two six-foot hydrokinetic turbines in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that can produce 1,600 MW combined.

A competing company called Free Flow Power Corp. also has its sights set on turbine production in the Mississipi River.

Expect even more projects in the near future— Congress passed a bill this year extending tax incentives for hydrokinetic turbines through 2016.

Photo Credit: Wired

Ariel Schwartz (374 Posts)

Ariel Schwartz was formerly the editor of CleanTechnica and is a contributor at Fast Company, Inhabitat, Triple Pundit, SF Weekly, and NBC Bay Area Online. A graduate of Vassar College, she has previously worked in publishing, organic farming, documentary film, and newspaper journalism. Her interests include permaculture, hiking, skiing, music, relocalization, and cob (the building material). She currently resides in San Francisco, CA.


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  • Scott

    I think they meant 1.6 Mw. 1600 Mw is absolutely impossibe for that size with todays technology.

  • Scott

    I think they meant 1.6 Mw. 1600 Mw is absolutely impossibe for that size with todays technology.

  • Dennis

    “Two six-foot hydrokinetic turbines in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that can produce 1,600 MW combined”??? Looks like a typo. Maybe 60-foot turbines?

    The one in the picture looks like 12 ft diameter, but produces only 35 kw.

  • Dennis

    “Two six-foot hydrokinetic turbines in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that can produce 1,600 MW combined”??? Looks like a typo. Maybe 60-foot turbines?

    The one in the picture looks like 12 ft diameter, but produces only 35 kw.

  • Kevin D

    We are just scratching the surface of where hydrokinetic energy can take us, so it is nice to see that Congress is doing it’s part to embrace this technology. I’m not sure if this is the first hydrokinetic turbine installed in the US though as a company called New Energy Corp. (www.newenergycorp.ca) has had turbines installed in Alaska for well over a year. They are a different design, but leverage flow energy the same way and have almost no environmental footprint.

  • Kevin D

    We are just scratching the surface of where hydrokinetic energy can take us, so it is nice to see that Congress is doing it’s part to embrace this technology. I’m not sure if this is the first hydrokinetic turbine installed in the US though as a company called New Energy Corp. (www.newenergycorp.ca) has had turbines installed in Alaska for well over a year. They are a different design, but leverage flow energy the same way and have almost no environmental footprint.

  • Kevin D

    We are just scratching the surface of where hydrokinetic energy can take us, so it is nice to see that Congress is doing it’s part to embrace this technology. I’m not sure if this is the first hydrokinetic turbine installed in the US though as a company called New Energy Corp. (www.newenergycorp.ca) has had turbines installed in Alaska for well over a year. They are a different design, but leverage flow energy the same way and have almost no environmental footprint.

  • http://globalpatriot.com Global Patriot

    This is a technology that few know about yet has the potential of harnessing the energy of water flow in a manner that does not cause the same level of destruction that occurs when dams are built across waterways. Alternative structures also allow for the capture of tidal action, which could be significant in powering coastal regions.

  • http://globalpatriot.com Global Patriot

    This is a technology that few know about yet has the potential of harnessing the energy of water flow in a manner that does not cause the same level of destruction that occurs when dams are built across waterways. Alternative structures also allow for the capture of tidal action, which could be significant in powering coastal regions.