crown hydro

CROWN HYDROfor our clean energy future

Presentation overview

CROWN HYDROa clean energy future

• Current electricity sources• Environmental impact• Public health impact

• Individual demand• Governmental standards and incentives• Independent power producers

• Impoundment v. diversion, energy mix• Location of Crown Hydro• History of hydro on the river

• Thorough, collaborative process• Primary and ancillary benefits• President Obama: New Energy Economy

crisis

solution

details

context

Electricity sources


.

Coal:environmental impact


• U.S. DOE and EPA: coal plants emit 40% of carbon dioxide in U.S., the primary cause of global climate change

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: threatens human populations and ecosystems with worsening heat waves, floods and droughts

• ABC News/Stanford University: 88% of Americans believe global warming threatens future generations

• Fox News:82% of Americans believe in global warming

.

Coal:public health impact


• Sierra Club:coal-fired power plants are the largest man-made source of mercury pollution in the U.S., and the largest contributor of hazardous air pollutants

• MN Department of Health:one in five women of childbearing agehave high enough levels of mercury intheir bodies to cause birth defects

• American Lung Association:24,000 people a year die prematurelybecause of pollution from coal-firedpower plants

Individuals:demand clean energy


“The most important thing individualscan do to combat the climate crisis is tobuy clean electricity for their homes.”-Al Gore, winnerNobel Peace Prize, 2007

Policy 6.2.1 Minneapolis will… encourage analysis and implementation of sustainable energy generation within the city including

energy produced by renewable fuels…

Elected leaders:set standards, incentives

• Minnesota: 25% by 2025 – Renewable Energy Standard

• Minnesota: incentive for hydro energy

• U.S.: production tax creditfor hydro energy


http://www.acore.org/phaseii/2007

Crown Hydro:Independent Power Producer

• Crown Hydro is proposing to create a small, run-of-river, hydro energy facility under the west bank of the Mississippi, downtown Minneapolis

• It will have two 1.7 megawatt turbines placed 42 feet below ground

• It will run only at times of average and above-average river flow – about 60% of the year

• It will generate enough electricity for at least 2,000 households

• It is clean, renewable, still, silent, and invisible

• The same amount of energy from coal would emit18,000 tons of CO2 per year


Large hydro:impoundment / dam


Manitoba Hydro:

• 5000 megawatts of clean, renewable energy

• Dam creates height difference that generates mechanical energy

• Ecological impact - erosion, flooding

• Electricity transmitted from Canada

Small hydro:diversion / run-of-river


Crown Hydro:

• 2 megawatts of clean renewable energy

• Water is divertedfrom and returnedto river with naturalelevation drop thatgenerates energy

• No harmfulecological impact

• Locally-produced, sustainable

• Used where it is produced, less energy lost in transmission

We need all renewableenergy sources

• Hydro:• cheapest• existing infrastructure

• Wind:• larger potential in Minnesota• need transmission lines from rural areas

• Solar:• great potential• small-scale production here

• Biomass:• cleaner than coal or

natural gas

• Geothermal• in development


View from above


intake

tailrace

View from river


View from downtown


History: a working river


Fathe

r Hen

nepin

nam

es F

alls

saw m

ill to

buil

d For

t Sne

lling

Crown

Roller

Mill

built

Sioux,

Ojib

we la

nd

lumbe

r, th

en flo

ur m

illing

tunn

el co

llaps

e, u

nder

mine

d fa

lls

first

hydr

o ele

ctric

plant

in U

.S.

1680

1821

1850-60’s1869

1876

1879

1882-19331895-19681897-1987

Main

Stre

et st

ation

Lower

Dam

stat

ion

Henne

pin Is

land

1908-present

Corps

of E

ngine

ers s

tabil

izes a

pron

, spil

lway

Crown Hydro development:an in-depth approval process


Minn

eapo

lis p

lans M

ill Ruin

s Par

k with

hyd

ro,

adde

d ca

pacit

y is d

enied

for N

SP

1980’s

com

mun

ity in

put,

new si

te se

lecte

d. M

PRB neg

otiat

ions

2000-2009

RDF gra

nt a

warde

d, p

rivat

e fin

ancin

g se

cure

d

2002

Power

Pur

chas

e Agr

eem

ent w

ith X

cel E

nerg

y

2003

Crown

Hydro

app

lies f

or F

ERC licen

se

1990

envir

onm

enta

l, eng

ineer

ing, w

ater

flow st

udies

1991-1999

Crown

Hydro

is a

warde

d FERC lic

ense

1999

future

study

hist

oric

reso

urce

s im

pact

future

lease

from

MPRB

future

final

FERC app

rova

l

Partnership with the parks

• Crown Hydro is asking to lease the required land from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for the term of the FERC license

• Crown Hydro pays 100% ofcosts for equipment, construction,maintenance, insurance, andtakes over stewardship of theraceway tunnels

• Crown Hydro will pay$300,000 to the MPRBeach year

• MPRB Comprehensive Plan:89% of residents supportcorporate partnerships as asource of additional revenue


Benefit


• Clean, renewable energy for at least 2,000 homes – that’s more than 1% of householdsin Minneapolis

• The same amount of energyfrom coal would emit18,000 tons of CO2

each year

• Parks: $3 million over next 10 years in new revenue forMinneapolis parks

• Jobs and infrastructure: private investment in infrastructure, constructed and run with Union Labor

• Stewardship: strengthen tunnels,provide stringent inspectionsand full insurance andindemnification for park board

• Even more clean energy:state and national modelfor small hydro

Ancillary benefits


• Water flow: Will Crown Hydro impair the aesthetics of the falls?

• Historic site: Will Crown Hydro impair historic resources?

• Private use of public land: Is this an appropriate private use of public land?

Questions from neighbors


• Engineers retained by the MPRB, using information provided to them by University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Lab, have determined the total impact of Crown Hydro’s water diversion will not be visually discernable

• MPRB will have the discretion and authority to shut off diversion to maintain flow

• Average water flow over the St. Anthony Falls is 12,000 cfs

• The current demonstration intake structure diverts about 150-250 cubic feet per second of water. The Crown Hydro intake structure will be adjustable for water flow, and cannot exceed the maximum diversion of 1,000 cfs. A transducer that measures the water level in the river will transmit a continuous signal that will reduce diversion as flow decreases, and shut off completely when flow declines toward 1000 cfs.

Water Flow:Will it impair the aesthetics of the falls?


• The project is sited within the St. Anthony Falls National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Historic District, inside the St. Anthony Falls Waterpower area, and the West Bank Milling Area

• The FERC license requires that Crown Hydro work with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to develop a plan to determine if there is historic impact and to define that historic impact

• It there is historic impact, Crown Hydro must work the SHPO, with input from the Federal HSPC and the Minneapolis HPC, to determine if and how it can be mitigated – and vital historic resources protected – by appropriate measures in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

Historic Site:Will it impair historic resources?


• Typically the use of public land is required for clean, renewable hydro projects like Crown Hydro, as many waterways are public assets. The Mississippi River is under the jurisdiction of the state.

• As an independent power producer, the energy will be sold to a public utility, and subject to the same consumer protections

• Minnesota statute 103G.535 says “the public health, safety, and welfare of the state is promoted by the use of state waters to produce hydroelectric power” and further “a political subdivision… may provide by a lease or development agreement for the development and operation of… hydroelectric power generation plants by an individual, a corporation, an organization, or other legal entity”

• Crown Hydro has offered generous public revenue sharing


Private use of public land:Is Crown Hydro an appropriate use?

Crown Hydro will provide clean, renewable,locally-produced, distributed energy.

This project honors the proud history of the Mississippi River, represents an important infrastructure investment for our future, will generate millions of dollars for parks, and create good Union jobs.

It is safe, sustainable, and unobtrusive.

Right idea, right time


Small hydro- big difference

To learn more visitwww.CrownHydro.net

“There's no better driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy. That's going

to be my #1 priority.” -Barack Obama


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