East River Turbines Taken Off-line

The tides in the East River have proved a bit too rough and tumble for the turbines placed there by Verdant Power to produce electricity for Roosevelt Island as part of a pilot project. The NYTimes has the details:

Weeks after they were formally dedicated by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, six underwater turbines that turn the river’s currents into electricity have been shut down for repairs and a basic redesign. The East River’s powerful tides have been wreaking havoc with the giant turbine blades since the first two were installed in December.

“But the good thing is that there’s more power in the East River than we thought,” said Mollie E. Gardner, a geologist for Verdant Power, which owns the equipment.

This is the reality of new energy projects, which often seem more attractive on paper than they do in practice. Verdant’s principals, along with the state officials who have supported the project with large grants, say the setback is only temporary, even expected — a way to work out the kinks before moving onto the next, expanded phase.

The turbines are expected back online sometime in November, and there are other companies now looking into projects further north near the Hell Gate area. Find more Tidal power news here.


Posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 at 9:01 am | Tagged in East River, New York City, Renewables | posted by Jamie

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