PORTLAND, OR, Jan. 20, 2015 -- Under a new partnership, the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) has transformed one of the city's major water pipelines into a prominent generator of renewable energy, helping to promote renewable power development and resource diversity for the state of Oregon.
The PWB collaborated with Lucid Energy, a provider of renewable energy systems for in-pipe hydropower and smart water infrastructure, to implement its LucidPipe™ Power System. The technology uses the gravity-fed flow of water inside PWB's pipeline to spin four 42-inch turbines, producing electricity for Portland General Electric (PGE) customers under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the utility.
The system, which was installed at no cost to PWB or the City of Portland, is the first project in the U.S. to secure a 20-year PPA for renewable energy produced by in-pipe hydropower in a municipal water pipeline. It will begin full energy production within the next two months and has been tested and certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 for use in potable water systems.
The LucidPipe system was fully financed in October 2014 with capital from Harbourton Alternative Energy, a subsidiary of Harbourton Enterprises. The project will generate approximately $2 million worth of renewable energy capacity over the 20-year PPA period -- enough electricity for more than 150 homes in Portland. PWB and Harbourton will share in the revenue, and the Bureau will have the right to own the system and all its produced energy after the 20 years.
"The Water Bureau welcomed the opportunity to explore the innovative use of a Portland pipe delivering water to create hydroelectric power," said David Shaff, PWB administrator. "Water and energy are closely linked. The Lucid pipe system provides a way for the Water Bureau to contribute to generating electricity for our community in a clean, low-cost and renewable way."
About Lucid Energy
Lucid Energy, Inc. is a provider of renewable energy and smart water management solutions that improve the economics of delivering water. The company's patented LucidPipe Power System enables industrial, municipal and agricultural facilities to generate clean, reliable, low-cost electricity from their gravity-fed water pipelines and effluent streams. Lucid Energy co-developed the technology with Northwest Pipe Company (NASDAQ: NWPX), the largest manufacturer of steel water transmission pipe in the U.S. For more information, visit www.lucidenergy.com.
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