Jan 5 2009
Hydro Green Energy, LLC has successfully completed the installation of one of two turbines at the nation's first-ever commercial hydrokinetic power project. Once the electrical systems are tested, the hydrokinetic turbine will send clean, environmentally-friendly, renewable electricity to the Minnesota electric power grid. The second underwater turbine will be installed in the spring of 2009.
"With the successful installation of our first turbine, Hydro Green Energy has taken another historic step and has strengthened its status as the industry leader," stated Wayne F. Krouse, Chairman and CEO of Hydro Green Energy. "We, with the City of Hastings, are now in a position to soon send the first hydrokinetic electrons ever to the U.S. power grid."
Hydrokinetic power refers to the generation of electricity from moving water without impoundments or diversionary structures that are typically used at conventional hydropower facilities. Hydro Green Energy's technology operates in open rivers, tidal areas and oceans. Its broadly patented technology (U.S. Patent # 6,955,049), which is the first surface-suspended system in the industry, is also deployable downstream from existing hydropower facilities (known as Hydro+(TM)), which allows for new, clean power generation within the existing project footprint.
The City of Hastings is installing a two-turbine Hydro+(TM) project downstream from its 4.4 megawatt run-of-river hydropower plant on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Lock & Dam No. 2. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project by a 5-0 vote on December 13, 2008 and on December 23 authorized the installation of the first turbine. Once the project is operational, extensive water quality, fish survival, mussel and avian studies and/or monitoring will be performed by Hydro Green Energy, much at the request of the National Park Service, which participated extensively in the nearly two-year long licensing process.
Hydro Green Energy is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the hydrokinetic turbines. Power sales from the turbines' output to Xcel Energy will be shared between the City of Hastings and Hydro Green Energy. The Hastings Project has resulted in 61 green jobs in seven states over the past two years, including a combined 34 jobs at Portable Barge Service, Inc. of Newport, MN and TC/American Manufacturing of Waite Park, MN.
"Despite great uncertainty facing the United States workforce, Hydro Green Energy is providing work for Americans, including highly-skilled, professional and hard working Minnesotans. We are immensely impressed with the quality of the work done in Minnesota and we greatly look forward to expanding these opportunities in the coming years as the company and its project portfolio expands," stated Krouse. "What's more, we eagerly await the new policies of the incoming Obama Administration, which will serve to bolster the ability of green energy companies like Hydro Green Energy to grow and to help play a stronger role in solving the energy, environmental and economic problems facing this country."