New York’s Leadership in the Emerging Marine Renewable Ron Smith Verdant Power Inc.

A new renewable energy industry, marine energy, including tidal and river energy systems, wave energy and ocean thermal energy systems is emerging around the world. Samples of recent headlines from the United Kingdom (UK) periodical “tidal today” include Scotland’s “Pentland Firth marine energy scheme to see investment worth £5B”, and “The Bay of Fundy tides tipped to generate electricity by 2015”. In the 1980’s the New York Power Authority with the US Department of Energy funded the development of a Kinetic Hydropower System (KHPS) at the Applied Sciences Department of New York University (NYU). In 2000, Verdant Power was incorporated to commercialize kinetic hydropower systems, and selected the NYU system for commercial development, and later hired an NYU lead designer, Dean Corren, to head the technology development and commercialization . Since 2002, NYSERDA has awarded Verdant Power eight development awards totaling over $3M to commercialize the KHPS technology at the Tidal Energy (RITE) Project in ’s for potential application around the world. Starting in 2002, the RITE Project has led the development of this industry in North America with an initial installation of a field of six turbines in the spring of 2007 for operational and environmental assessment for an unprecedented technology capability. Verdant completed the Phase 2 demonstration phase of the project this year with significant and positive results. Earlier this year, Verdant Power received approval of its draft commercial license application from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the world’s first commercial field of up to 30 turbines in the East River. This presentation will describe the background and results of the RITE Project in New York; the emerging industry in the US, the UK and Canada; and the State of New York’s opportunities to lead and participate in this emerging global industry.

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