Ocean Renewable Power Alaska, LLC has received preliminary permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to develop tidal energy projects in Cook Inlet and Resurrection Bay.
ORPC Alaska is in discussions on an innovative public/private partnership whereby the company would locate its operations center at Port MacKenzie, which provides excellent access to ORPC Alaska’s Cook Inlet site. The partnership is designed to encourage the development of tidal energy and ensure that ORPC Alaska works closely with local community interests and businesses to maximize the economic benefits available to the area.
ORPC Alaska, wholly owned by Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC, plans to develop the tidal energy projects in Alaska using its proprietary Ocean Current Generation (OCGen”) technology. ORPC Alaska received the preliminary permits on April 18, 2007 from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the 2 sites, which are now subject to strict review of development progress, any potential environmental effects, and ongoing regulatory oversight.
ORPC Alaska’s development plans include initially building and installing a 1/3-scale prototype of its OCGen” turbine-generator unit (TGU) in Knik Arm in the spring of 2008 and testing the TGU for a period of 4 to 6 weeks. Following this initial test, a full scale prototype OCGen” module is planned for deployment in mid-2009. After completion of the 12-month testing and environmental monitoring period for the prototype, ORPC Alaska intends to develop, permit and build commercial scale OCGen” projects at its Cook Inlet and Resurrection Bay sites, as well as additional sites to be identified in the future. ORPC Alaska hopes to obtain the funding for the 1/3-scale TGU test from public and private sources over the next few months.
“ORPC Alaska wants to develop the tremendous tidal resource we have, here, in Alaska, and they’ve demonstrated an understanding of and commitment to including the interests of the local community into this highly innovative and promising project” stated Marc Van Dongen, Port Director, for Port MacKenzie. “We have a solid basis for moving forward on capturing the power of Cook Inlet tides and making certain that our entire community shares in the economic and environmental benefits from this clean, sustainable energy resource.”
In Washington State, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, filed the Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act, which would level the playing field for marine-power generators by providing loans for the development of new technologies and extending renewable energy tax credits to such utilities. It also would pump $50 million a year into marine-energy research for 10 years to help overcome hurdles such as integrating power generated into the grid and creating infrastructure than can survive in harsh marine environments.
“One of the biggest unknowns about hydrokinetic energy is the environmental impact. Congressman Inslee’s bill will start to answer this question. We commend him for his leadership to expand our knowledge of these technologies,” said Robbin Marks, senior director of conservation programs at American Rivers.
Parts of Inslee’s congressional district are served by Snohomish County Public Utility District (SnoPUD), which currently is studying the feasibility of developing tidal power in Puget Sound. The utility estimates that 1600 turbines in seven locations could generate enough electricity for 60,000 homes.
“We’ll need a range of new technologies to supply our energy needs in a carbon-constrained world,” added Inslee. “Marine power will be an important part of the clean-energy mix.”
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