Home to one of the largest deposits of freshwater on the planet, the Great Lakes region will soon host next-generation tidal-powered generators – just as prices are being hiked across the US
Submersible hydroelectric technology deployed across the Great Lakes could become a key cog in clean energy efforts, supporters say, amid surging electricity demand and costs.
Home to one of the largest deposits of freshwater on the planet, the Great Lakes region has on its shores some of the largest cities in North America in Chicago, Toronto, Montreal and Detroit, where electricity demand is growing. While none of the five Great Lakes have significant tides or currents to fuel hydropower, several of the waterways that link the lakes do.
Last month the Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), an entity that has operated submersible hydroelectric projects in Alaska and Maine for years, announced its first urban venture on the St Lawrence River in Montreal, which is set to begin operating two hydroelectricity devices later this year.
“The St Lawrence River is one of the best opportunities in North America for our technology because it has consistent, high-velocity water for hundreds of miles. In the Montreal area, there’s 60-90 megawatts of resource potential alone,” says ORPC chief executive officer, Stuart Davies.
