September 10, 2007
Alliance Energy Eyeing Turbine On River
By Brian Kidwell
Alliance Energy, the utility company with cogeneration plants in Ogdensburg and Massena, is proposing to generate energy from a turbine that would be placed in the St. Lawrence River near its facilities in the city.
Alliance has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a preliminary permit study the river's currents in and around Ogdensburg.
The Company figures the combine can generate 10 megawatts of electricity. Alliance spokeswoman Jane Rubinstein said, for now, the company plans to sell the power statewide.
"The ongoing engineering and feasibility studies will determine the energy markets," Rubinstein said. "However, it is Alliance's intention to serve the New York market."
That market includes the Ogdensburg plant's very own back yard. Rubinstein said Alliance recognizes "hydro kinetic" turbine power and wants to capitalize on an energy source that could, among other favorable outcomes, help boost economic development in Ogdensburg and the surrounding area.
"Alliance is very enthused about the potential for the St. Lawrence as a sustainable energy source and the potential for economic development for Ogdensburg," she said.
The project, estimated at $1 million in cost, faces a lengthy timetable.
"The typical schedule for approvals and construction once Alliance decides to proceed is roughly 24 months for approval and construction," Rubinstein said.
But that schedule, Rubinstein added, is conditional.
"The FERC filing is a 'placeholder' that preserves Alliance's place in the FERC queue for consideration," she said. "They are currently conducting engineering studies to determine if the kinetic turbine project is feasible and, if so, specifically at what location and what capacity."
This isn't Alliance's first foray into turbine power, but Ogdensburg would be the first operation where the generator would be placed in the water.
"Alliance currently owns and operates five hydro facilities," Rubinstein said. "These are technically hydro kinetic. The St. Lawrence project would be the first for Alliance placing turbines directly in a water body."
An underwater turbine works when the river currents turn its blades and generate electricity which is transmitted to a power grid on land.
Alliance isn't the only enterprise in the city taking a step toward embracing turbine power as energy source, although it is first to go so far as to seek FERC approval. The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority has also made preliminary inquiries into the concept.
A state "Green and Clean" initiative was launched a few years ago, calling on all state agencies to assess their energy needs and submit a plan to reduce energy consumption by 35 percent before 2010.
No commitment has been made, but turbine power is one alternative the OPBA is considering to ultimately cut down on the energy costs of its holdings.
They include Commerce Park light industrial park, the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, Ogdensburg International Airport and the agency's own headquarters at Bridge Plaza.
Wade A. Davis, the authority's executive director, said his agency hasn't ruled out pursuing turbine power for its own use.
OPBA Board Chairman Fredrick J. Carter Sr., for one, is enthusiastic about turbine power, saying recently that the river is right there for the authority's advantage.
"The river is our biggest resource," he said recently.
Alliance's plant in Ogdensburg is an 83-megawatt facility. The company also has an 84-megawatt cogenerator in Massena.
The Ogdensburg plant is located next to the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center.