On Monday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its first pilot project license to Verdant Power for a tidal energy projected located in New York City’s East River.
The Project is known as the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project and is expected to generate 1,050 kilowatts of energy by using the East River’s natural tidal currents to generate electricity. The turbine generators will be mounted on the riverbed and capture the energy from the tidal flow as it rolls through them.
“Issuing a pilot license for an innovative technology is a major step in the effort to help our country meet our renewable energy goals,” FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said. “FERC’s pilot process is doing what it should: allow for exploration of new renewable technologies while protecting the environment.”
The pilot licenses are very much for small and innovative companies to test out a new technology, with several restricting rules set in place;
Projects eligible for a pilot license must be (1) small; (2) short term; (3) located in an environmentally non-sensitive area; (4) removable and able to be shut down on short notice; (5) removed, with the site restored, before the end of the license term unless the licensee obtains a new license; and (6) initiated by a draft application with appropriate environmental analysis.
With ten years to prove itself, I surely hope that this is the first of many tidal projects to be initiated throughout the US, and hopefully, the world.
Source: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Image Source: Verdant Power
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