Abstract
The purpose of this project was to provide ongoing environmental consultation and monitoring efforts required under the permits for the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Phase II six-turbine demonstration (RITE Demonstration), advancing the understanding of fish presence, abundance, species characterization and fish interaction with operating kinetic hydropower turbines. This Final Report summarizes the significant accomplishments and achievements of NYSERDA and Verdant Power by providing a history and perspective of the environmental assessment of marine hydrokinetics as well as a detailed discussion of NYSERDA-funded tasks that significantly supported the filing of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Final Hydrokinetic Pilot License Application (FLA) for the RITE Project (FERC No. P- 12611) in December 2010. As a result of this work, Verdant Power’s Kinetic Hydropower System (KHPS) (Generation 5 (Gen5)) is planned to be installed, pending permits, in the East Channel of the East River in New York to continue the demonstration of the technology for reliability, longevity, cost-effective O&M and environmental compatibility. The work discussed here includes consultations and the executing of fishery studies and monitoring that observed two operating Gen4 KHPS turbines in the September-November 2008 timeframe, resulting in important data and observations related to the fish interaction with kinetic hydropower turbines at full commercial scale. Also included are the results of consultations with environmental stakeholder agencies during 2009 and through 2010, on the new Gen5 KHPS design and background fishery information and analysis that supports essential fish habitat assessments as well as biological assessments of resident, migrating, and endangered species. As such, it represents a significant body of ‘first time’ analysis and information on the environmental effects of marine hydrokinetic machines in a tidal application.