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Tidal energy farm proposed for Vineyard Sound
The Martha's Vineyard Times ^ | June 8, 2006 | Aubrey Gibavic

Posted on 06/07/2006 8:05:13 PM PDT by saganite

With little fanfare, an off-Island development company has filed plans to build an underwater tidal energy farm in Vineyard Sound. Representatives of Massachusetts Tidal Energy Company (MATidal), based in Washington, D.C., say their installation could potentially supply power to thousands of New England homes.

MATidal submitted a preliminary permit application on April 12 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). If approved, the proposal calls for the installation of one or more clusters of underwater turbines, referred to in the application as "tidal in-stream energy conversion devices." The device is much like an aboveground wind turbine, but submerged to harvest power from the flow of the tide.

Each tidal device is expected to produce up to two megawatts of electricity, depending on the power of the current, enough to power 750 homes. The company is looking to install up to 150 units.

Daniel Power, president of Oceana Energy Company, the parent of MATidal, said the project is in the initial planning phase. "This is all a new field," he said. "The way the world is right now, we're going to have to find some way to collect natural energy and convert it to something that people can use."

The application explains that each tidal device would have a rotating propeller between 20 and 50 feet in diameter, a generator, and an anchoring system. Mr. Power said the company is required to put a description of the device in the application. "We are still in the process of evaluating and validating technologies that are out there to collect the energy," he said.

Although it is believed that large amounts of energy could be harvested from Vineyard Sound, Mr. Power said the initial testing phase would determine if the area is suitable for a tidal farm. "We think that there's energy out there to be collected in the waters," he said. "If there's not any energy out there, we're wasting our time. But we'll find out."

The company is evaluating an underwater area between Naushon Island and the shallow regions of Lucas Shoal and Middle Ground, for the tidal farm. The project would connect to an existing underwater cable that runs between Nobska Point in Falmouth and a point on the north shore just west of the opening to Lake Tashmoo. The water depth ranges from 40 to 75 feet in the proposed areas.

MATidal applied for a standard three-year permit in which time the company would conduct environmental testing and build a pilot tidal device.

Mr. Power said the company is studying tidal energy projects both in the development stage and currently in use. He cited a trial now in progress in Lynmouth, Devon on the south side of the Bristol Channel in England, where one experimental turbine was installed three years ago. The single 11-meter-long propeller can be raised above water for maintenance, and it is capable of producing 300 kilowatts of electricity.

Another experimental tidal power station near Hammerfest, Norway, has been operational since November 2003.

"We're trying to assess the strengths and the weaknesses and see how these technologies might be uniquely well suited for the tidal basin there," Mr. Power said. "We are also looking at technologies that are not yet in use."

Researchers say tidal farms are often more reliable than wind because of the general consistency of the tide; the amount of energy harvested doesn't change with the weather or seasons.

If FERC grants the permit, the preliminary study phase would create a three-dimensional image of the ocean floor to collect and analyze data concerning water flow and current speeds. Later studies may include the use of a sled-mounted video camera, remotely operated vehicles, and submerged sonar devices.

In the application, MATidal said they do not believe the project will negatively impact aquatic organisms, or wildlife, because of the slow rotation of the propeller blades. Other experimental turbines turn approximately 20 revolutions per minute.

"We will do it in a way that is, environmentally, about as benign as you can get," Mr. Power said. "And it will cause very minimal impact upon the eyes and the ears of the local populace."

There is a growing demand for energy, especially in the Northeast, the area that would use the tidal farm, according to MATidal's application. The company estimates there will be a 52-percent demand increase for energy in the next 20 years, representing a $17 billion per year market rise. MATidal estimates that renewable sources of energy may be expected to increase nine percent by the year 2020.

Cape Wind, the controversial offshore wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound, would consist of nearly 130 wind turbines, each producing up to 3.6 megawatts of power on an average day. If installed, and when operating at peak production, the wind farm could supply power to nearly 75 percent of all homes on the Cape and Islands, according to proponents.

After encountering determined opposition among citizens and local politicians, the Cape Wind project is at a standstill.

No part of the tidal farm would be visible above the surface of Vineyard Sound, MATidal states in the application. "The devices generate power from natural marine tidal currents, and therefore are not dependent on fuel," MATidal said in the application. "Removing the fuel component...decreases environmental impacts and production costs tremendously. This form of energy production is essentially emission-free with no adverse impacts on air quality and minimal foreseeable adverse environmental impacts overall."

One of the best sources of energy is the moon's tidal effect, Mr. Power said, adding that water has 840 times the density of air, thus a relatively slow current could produce a large amount of energy. "I don't want to get into a contest with wind," he said, describing his proposal as just a different way of exploring green energy.

The company estimates that planning and studies supporting the project will cost between $1 and $4 million over the duration of the permit period. MATidal and its investors will cover the costs.

Joseph A. Cannon of the Washington-based law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, and Charles B. Cooper of TRC, an environmental permitting and planning company in Lowell, are listed as authorized agents for the project.

Jeff Brandt, an environmental consultant for TRC, said once FERC approves the preliminary permit, his company will begin feasibility assessments.

MATidal applied for a license under Part I of the Federal Power Act, which oversees federal regulations on waterpower development.

FERC will ultimately approve or disapprove the application, but other agencies can review the proposal and impose stipulations, Mr. Power said. Typically, FERC takes 60 days to review an application and grant a permit. The project is listed as number 12670 on the FERC web site.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: energy; kennedy; tidalenergy
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I wonder if Teddy will find an aesthetic objection to this?
1 posted on 06/07/2006 8:05:18 PM PDT by saganite
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To: saganite

The swimmer will do the dog paddle, thus generating enough juice to light up the East Coast.


2 posted on 06/07/2006 8:09:18 PM PDT by Westlander (Unleash the Neutron Bomb)
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To: saganite
I wonder if anyone's trying to do this for the Bay of Fundy (New Brunswick, Canada) or any of the other places that have really intense tidal surges? At the Bay of Fundy billions of gallons of seawater charge in and out of the narrow bay with each change of the tide.

http://www.bayoffundy.com/highesttides.aspx

"The force created by these mighty waters is equal to 8000 locomotives or 25 million horses at the Minas Channel."
3 posted on 06/07/2006 8:11:00 PM PDT by Enchante (General Hayden: I've Never Taken a Domestic Flight That Landed in Waziristan!)
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To: saganite
"I wonder if Teddy will find an aesthetic objection to this?"
Nope. The whole thing is critically dependent on him - he generates tides each time he takes a plunge in water for a swim. It has been designed to flatter his vanity and make him useful, at least for something.
4 posted on 06/07/2006 8:11:19 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: GSlob

So you're saying they could tap the power from his tidal surges? Why not go for the triple header and tap the hot air from his mouth and the natural gas from--well, you know.


5 posted on 06/07/2006 8:13:32 PM PDT by saganite (Billions and billions and billions-------and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: saganite
"...but submerged to harvest power from the flow of the tide."

Now, that would be fantastic.....with ALL THE OCEANS we have....sheesh....it would be good to put them to work giving us energy besides rain, hurricanes, and such.

6 posted on 06/07/2006 8:14:32 PM PDT by goodnesswins ( "the left can only take power through deception." (and it seems Hillary & Company are the masters)
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To: GSlob

Has any consideration been given to the helpless empty bottles of scotch sucked into the intake gate needed for the swimmer ?


7 posted on 06/07/2006 8:14:44 PM PDT by Westlander (Unleash the Neutron Bomb)
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To: saganite
Oh no! They're messing with the tides.

Where are all the enviro-whackos on this?

Interfering, even in a small way, with the flow of the tides will have an effect.

Newton's third law: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction".

A modern day corollary is: "There's no such thing as a free lunch".

The whackos are having a negative effect on the very things they are trying to "save".

On a related note, I was noticing that the portion of the Valdez spill in Alaska that they "cleaned up" is in bad shape while the places they didn't get to have recovered just fine.

8 posted on 06/07/2006 8:17:23 PM PDT by capt. norm (Ben Franklin: "Does thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of")
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To: Westlander

Empty bottles have served their purpose. If they contained scotch they would be worth saving. If they contained bourbon they would be worth risking life and limb for.


9 posted on 06/07/2006 8:18:22 PM PDT by saganite (Billions and billions and billions-------and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: saganite
I'm betting that Ted Kennedy is behind this. He and his family have been fighting the proposed wind farms, those would ruin their view. This is a perfect alternative for them, they won't have to look at windmills but they're still "saving the environment".
10 posted on 06/07/2006 8:18:37 PM PDT by Jean S
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To: saganite

By running too far ahead of one's derriere one risks falling on one's face. The things you have mentioned are all planned, but one thing at a time. First he needs to be acclimatized to daily swims [a bottle of scotch as a reward, maybe? He's not a dolphin, so piece of fish is out of question].


11 posted on 06/07/2006 8:18:44 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: JeanS
I'm betting that Ted Kennedy is behind this.

Especially if those huge turbines had a special chute for disposing of "political inconveniences".

(That Chappaquiddick thing won't work again, they're catching on to that one)

Like the mega-version of the garbage disposal unit in your kitchen sink "Away goes trouble down the drain". He could lease it to the Mafia and, who knows.

12 posted on 06/07/2006 8:31:10 PM PDT by capt. norm (Ben Franklin: "Does thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of")
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To: saganite
"The way the world is right now, we're going to have to find some way to collect natural energy and convert it to something that people can use."

I think someone beat you to the idea, Einstein:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

13 posted on 06/07/2006 8:46:47 PM PDT by randog (What the...?!)
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To: GSlob
Nope. The whole thing is critically dependent on him - he generates tides each time he takes a plunge in water for a swim.

Not very efficient. You have to burn gasoline to raise corn, wheat, barley and rye. You then convert those to ethanol to fuel the Kennedy family and especially Fat Ted.

It would be more efficient (and safer for Massachusetts drivers) to just burn that gasoline instead of making ethanol and pouring it down Ted throat.

14 posted on 06/07/2006 9:33:44 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Never ask a Kennedy if he'll have another drink. It's nobody's business how much he's had already.)
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To: KarlInOhio
Imagine - a dolphinarium, Ted swimming around. A trainer with a whiskey bottle appears on a platform 10-15 feet above the water. Ted flips, jumps out, grabs the bottle and splashes back in the water. The tide generates energy alright, plus all the admission tickets - children at half-price.
15 posted on 06/07/2006 9:42:45 PM PDT by GSlob
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To: saganite

PHOTO: Verdant Power LLC

Tidal energy turbines work like windmills underwater, using the daily motion of the ocean to produce electricity. This scaled drawing shows three of the six turbines Verdant Power hopes to test this summer in New York City's East River where the speed of the tidal current reaches 6 miles per hour.

What they are working on for New York City
16 posted on 06/07/2006 10:26:05 PM PDT by rottndog (WOOF!!!!--Keep your "compassion" away from my wallet!)
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To: saganite
"I don't want to get into a contest with wind," he said, ...

Thank God as there is already enough from the politicians in Mass.

17 posted on 06/07/2006 10:29:32 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (My head hurts.)
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To: rottndog
Reminds me of something on Seaquest DSV.
18 posted on 06/07/2006 10:31:52 PM PDT by COEXERJ145 (Every person has a photographic memory... but some don't have their flash card installed.)
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To: nutmeg

bookmark


19 posted on 06/07/2006 10:34:04 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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To: rottndog
The company says a mile-long series of submerged 15-foot diameter turbines can capture and convert that energy efficiently enough to produce up to 10 megawatts of electricity.

Palo Verde Nuclear plant puts out 3,733 megawatts

We need more nuke plants, not these feel good but completely trivial projects.

20 posted on 06/07/2006 10:49:04 PM PDT by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
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