Undersea Turbine Power Generator Project Proposed for the Niagara River near Unity Island

BUFFALO, NY — A unique underwater turbine power generation project is now proposed for the Niagara River in Buffalo by a Maine-based company.

But some residents of Western New York question the impact on the river and its wildlife.

2 On Your Side spoke with the company behind this project and a local group that may be looking to place it elsewhere.

A video from the U.S. Department of Energy shows the installation in a Maine stream last year of underwater turbine electric generators that may look to some like old push lawn mower reels. This device uses what the Ocean Renewable Energy Company calls tipped leaves that rotate with the flow of water to create energy,

Nathan Johnson is the vice president of development for ORPC, as it’s called, and he explains: “There are two turbines that are put together and these turbines – the foils are shaped like airplane wings and they create of lift. And the movement of water. turns turbines – turns a shaft that is connected to a generator. The generator produces electricity and we then send it to shore.

ORPC is therefore seeking a permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to install these units as a demonstration project beneath the surface of the Niagara River with its fast flowing water between the Peace Bridge and Unity Island. The company’s engineers believe it can withstand winter icing thanks to the anti-ice dam and continue to move the foils underwater during the winter. This is based on their experience in an Alaskan river and placement of the devices in other waterways in Maine, Canada and Chile.

Johnson says: “Our turbines are completely submerged, so you don’t see them. We take existing ships into account. »

But there is the question of habitat with a little guy known as the emerald shiner. It is a feeder fish for larger Muskies and other fish in the lake. Even a million-dollar habitat project with specially constructed baffles to calm river waters near the north shore of Unity Island was recently built for the small fish.

Environmental concerns about fish and birds come from some sport fishermen, environmentalists and other residents like Anne KC McCooey, executive director of the Black Rock Riverside Alliance. She says: “They chose a fairly shallow area of ​​the river to install these turbines. »

Referring to emerald minnows, she said: “It’s their migratory path to the lake. They are an incredible food source for many fish that live in the river, but also for the birds that fly here.

ORPC’s Johnson points out, “We have done significant environmental monitoring in both tidal and river environments. »

He referenced their river project in Alaska in which salmon run through the waters. “The small juvenile salmon called smolts – there have been hundreds of millions of smolts – and so far we haven’t seen any evidence of injury or mortality. And we have video cameras on the device.”

But McCooey says of the Alaska project: “You’ll see it’s a much different scale than our Niagara River.” Our Niagara River is not as wide as the one they put it in. And again, it’s not that we’re against this technology. “We see that this technology has many advantages in the future. This is where they want to put it.”

Johnson said he contacted the mayor’s office, the Buffalo Sewer Authority and Invest Buffalo Niagara to discuss the project and possible uses for the electricity to be produced. The Northland Training Center is also mentioned as a potential training site for workers responsible for manufacturing the devices.

A spokesperson for the Buffalo Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said they were contacted about the application process for a demonstration project and discussions were held. We have also reached out to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for comment, but have not yet received a response.

There is a public comment area open for part of June on the ORPC plan on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s website.