Innovative technology and local government leadership are unleashing the power of previously overlooked energy sources.
Take Portland, Oregon’s in-pipe, hydro-electric turbines as an example. Using a technology developed by Lucid Energy, that city is generating electricity through the regular flow of drinking water to its residents. Small turbines within the pipes spin as the water flows through the system, sending electricity into the electrical grid. The electricity that is generated offsets the costs of water delivery and has little to no environmental impact, no GHGs and none of the habitat disturbance associated with conventional hydro-electric dams.
In British Columbia, the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is also demonstrating how energy can be produced from an existing resource using innovative technology. The CSRD captures Methane from the landfill in Salmon Arm and upgrades it for distribution through Fortis BC’s network of natural gas pipes. The bio-fuel provides energy to 500 homes and businesses in Salmon Arm and the project has achieved carbon neutrality for the CSRD. Furthermore, the CRSD has secured a new revenue source through the sale of surplus carbon credits.
These projects hinge on collaboration between the private sector and local government and they are producing exciting outcomes towards sustainable development.