A Portland-based company has its license and will install its first underwater generator this month. PORTLAND - A Portland-based tidal energy company is preparing to install a new power-generating system later this month on the ocean floor in Down East Maine. Ocean Renewable Power Co.'s first turbine generator unit will be able to produce enough electricity to supply 20 to 25 homes, said John Ferland, vice president of project development An underwater cable located roughly 3,700 feet from the shore of Lubec will transmit the power from the underwater station to Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. customers on the mainland. All told, the company sees up to 50 megawatts of tidal power potential in the Eastport and Lubec areas, enough to power thousands of homes, Sauer said. "It's never going to be the dominant power-generating resource in the state of Maine, but it's going to be a significant contributor," Sauer said. The Ocean Renewable turbine generator unit self-starts when the tidal current reaches 2 knots, and is designed to produce up to 180 kilowatts under ideal circumstances. On average, however, it'll produce 60 kilowatts at the installation site in Cobscook Bay near Seward Neck in Lubec, Sauer said. Once it's completed, the full array of five of those turbine generator units will produce about 300 kilowatts under the pilot project license issued last week by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The completed pilot project will produce enough electricity for about 100 homes. there is more http://www.pressherald.com/news/Portland-company-ready-to-install-tidal-power-unit.html I really hope these work ! it would help us meet our energy needs with a renewable energy . I have heard they might put one down in Penobscot Bay. I haven't researched the cost or the funding but I will !
I posted something similar in another thread, but I like the 'all of the above' energy approach, the costs of not being the first mover in energy would be catastrophic. Energy independence is a common goal for both parties and if this is a step in that direction, I'm all for it. I don't understand the vitriol of some folks when it comes to alt energy, why would anyone be against innovation?
I wonder how it will effect the local ocean life? Came across this in a search, gives a better idea of how the barge and turbine might work in the article work. http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/01-02/RE_info/Tidal Power.htm When I reading was imagining it to be huge and bulky, I was surprised how compact the 45' turbine shown seemed.
I had also said it many times we need to throw the kitchen sink at energy , I wish they in Washington would work together
You don't have to worry. Marine life will take over. In 30 years you will hardly see a trace of the project. Just some rusting metal. Renewable energy projects do not hurt bio-enviroment itself. As a rule they just damage human habitat enviroment by producing weeds, garbage and trash. They usually burn a lot of gas, oil and coal, but it is good for envirement and does not damage human habitat if humans do not stand too close to burning fuels. But you still can protest. Garbage is the real problems for human enviroment. Enviromental protesters produce a lot of garbage. Please be so kind to pick up after yourself.
not necessarily protesting, presently just wondering. from the article I posted: "Environmental Aspects Perhaps the largest disadvantages of tidal barrages are the environmental and ecological affects on the local area. This is very difficult to predict, each site is different and there are not many projects that are available for comparison. The change in water level and possible flooding would affect the vegetation around the coast, having an impact on the aquatic and shoreline ecosystems. The quality of the water in the basin or estuary would also be affected, the sediment levels would change, affecting the turbidity of the water and therefore affecting the animals that live in it and depend upon it such as fish and birds. Fish would undoubtedly be affected unless provision was made for them to pass through the barrage without being killed by turbines. All these changes would affect the types of birds that are in the area, as they will migrate to other areas with more favourable conditions for them. These effects are not all bad, and may allow different species of plant and creature to flourish in an area where they are not normally found. But these issues are very delicate, and need to be independently assessed for the area in question." I agree with you that the ocean will win in the end. The environmental effects is a question that always pops into my head with these types of projects since the point is to be more environmentally friendly.
sorry, I whited out things i usually don't read. I appreciate one's own thought and need not sorces; I can recognise an original and real thought. the point is to be more environmentally friendly is very simple, - don't take a damp under yourself, keep your place clean. The reality is that the renewable energy is a gold mine for the garbage of the society. Read my post you quoted. Garbage produces only garbage, whether they speak, walk or sleep, protest or vote, as one can observe in any group of society including PF.
to be honest I have no idea what the feck your talking about, but I will certainly try my best to be tidy and not damp under myself.
If something is not clear in posts I don't mind explaining. If you are not interested, then I just appreciate your promise; even when you just has done the opposite of what you are promising I hope you will keep on trying.
The energy 'wave' of the future... DOE Looking to Harness Energy From Ocean Waves Off Hawaii May 18, 2012 - Call it the "wave" of the future -- the far-away, fossil-fuel-free future, that is.
Mundanely perhaps , is there a realistic and honest cost estimate that relates to layman comprehension ? And based on what length pay out period etc . Not for political reasons , but for , " nice to know" reasons .
With only a turbine large enough to supply so few homes, the purpose must be to study the effects a turbine would have on the issues you raise. So, your concerns are likely to be addressed and your questions answered.
I posted an article about this project over a month ago.. The Bay of Fundy has something like a 30' tide so its like a giant flush toilet.
