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HYDRO GREEN ENERGY’S 1ST FERC LICENSED COMMERCIAL HYDROKINETIC PROJECT IN U.S. HISTORY
Hydro Green Energy’s patented hydrokinetic technology is deployable downstream, in the tailrace, from existing hydropower projects. This system, which is known as Hydro+™, bolsters the overall clean energy output of the existing project in an environmentally-sound manner. This type of project is an innovative approach to conducting an incremental hydropower upgrade, which is eligible for a variety of green energy incentives.
In late 2008, Hydro Green Energy, in partnership with the City of Hastings, MN, installed the United States’ first-ever commercial, federally-licensed hydrokinetic power station. Power operations began in early 2009 at this Hydro+ ™ facility. Below are the highlights of this groundbreaking project. And please be sure to visit or video and photo pages, which can be found by following the links in the upper left corner of the page.
HASTINGS PROJECT OVERVIEW
- The City of Hastings, MN owns and operates a 4.4-MW hydropower project at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lock & Dam No. 2 (FERC Project 4306, Mississippi River).
- The City and Hydro Green Energy will operate the zero-head, in-stream hydrokinetic power equipment, which will be located in the tailrace of the City’s project, to generate additional electricity within the existing project footprint (incremental hydropower upgrade/cogeneration model for hydropower).
- Hydro Green Energy will receive a portion of the power sales attributable to its equipment (royalty payment for use of patented technology).
- Hydro Green Energy’s equipment will generate as much as 250 kW, representing a 5.7% increase in renewable energy generation at the existing site. The power is sold to Xcel Energy through the City’s PPA.
- After a year of pre-filing stakeholder consultations, the City of Hastings filed a Non-Capacity Amendment (existing project modification/new generating equipment) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in April 2008. FERC approved the project by a 5-0 vote on December 13, 2008 and authorized the installation on December 23, 2008. The first of two units was installed on December 29-30, 2008.
- Hydro Green Energy fully complied with FERC requirements for stakeholder outreach and agency consultation, and covered all costs and technical work associated with the NCA. Because of this, FERC strongly reaffirmed its decision to license the project in February of 2009.
- Once fully operational, Hydro Green Energy will perform comprehensive fish survival tests, monitor all critical aspects of water quality, study avian interactions and implement a zebra mussel control program, some at the request of the National Park Service.
- Led by Mayor Paul Hicks, the Hastings City Council unanimously approved the project on four occasions, validating the unique and creative public-private partnership of this groundbreaking project. The cooperation of the USACE was also critical to the project’s success.
- The Hastings hydrokinetic project is the first commercially-operational, FERC-licensed hydrokinetic power facility in the history of the United States.
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