Underwater Power Generator Could be Wave of City's Future (New York City)

[jpak]

http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=3258&content_type=1&media_type=3

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible for 28,000 acres of green space. When a new power plant on Randall’s Island begins operating in 2009, the department will start managing another kind of green: renewable energy.

Using U.S. Department of Energy funds, the Parks Department is in final contract negotiations with a Highland, NY-based alternative energy firm to build a hybrid wind, solar and tidal-energy power plant on Randall’s Island in the East River. The department hopes to start generating power on the island by 2008, said spokesman Ashe Reardon, but the contractor gave a more conservative estimate of 2009.

The Parks Department has been very quiet about the project, which Reardon calls a “demonstration” – or experiment of sorts – so quiet that City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito, whose district includes Randall’s Island, said Friday she had only just learned it was happening. “It’s news to us,” Mark-Viverito said, though she’s happy to see the green energy plant in her district.

“This is all very early, this is one small project,” Reardon said. “We’ve got to get this thing started, see how it goes from there, and see how it works.”

<more>