Hydroelectric Power in New York State

Consult with Canadian Hydro Development in Calgary Alberta.

Recently purchased by Transalta.

http://www.transalta.com/canadian-hydro-offer

Given the current (no pun intended) regulatory climate, unless there was / is a pre-existing unit in / on your property that grandfathers you some water rights, and they weren't sold or leased to the entity across the river, I'd forget about it.

If there was a system in your building, it will likely be in the lowest area of the building to maximize head. If the building is old enough, then any system may have been generating mechanical motion via belt and shaft, and this could be adapted to generate electricity.

If by syphon, you mean a pump storage system, I don't see how you'll make money having to buy more kilowatts at retail to sell less kilowatts at wholesale, especially with another hydro across the river using the same water.

I would start with the NYS DEC since they are going to get involved at some point no matter what. You're also going to have to connect to the grid somewhere and that is going to involve the NY Power Commission. Going to be a long project. Good luck.

GREAT IDEA! There are several ways to accomplish this, but we would require additional information on your investment budget and expected ROI (Return on Investment) before beginning to narrow the recomendations of how to accomplish this...

If this plant on the other side has a gen set and a turbine. you have no access to there water period. you will need to talk to the new york state water authority as well as the hydro as they have a contact to be suppled x amount of head water.

The existing hydro site has "water rights" based upon there FERC license, the exisiting hydro site has some useable hydraulic flow capacity thru there turbines. There is quite probably more water flow then the plant can handle during some percentage of the year. Some hydro plants have been added to capture the excess flow.

This may not be economic to sell direct to the utility, as the power payback rates may be too low.

What may make a project economic is if you can use the power in your own facility to supplement utility power. The utility may have a power supply contract with your company that prevents that. Then the alternative is if the hydro output can become your sole source of power ?

Thanks for the threads....There is certainly excess flow, it is a large NYS Barge canal dam and river. There is a 6000 sq ft commercial building and the power is for its use. Although, excess power would be ideal as the use I have intended would have to ramp up over time. It would be to run computer servers for secured computing storage. Kind of like a climate controlled secure mini storage buildings for information.

Love the quote, I do believe. Also grew up in Northern Wi. Marinette county. Be home for Christmas. Thanks again for the thoughts.

Back in the late 1980'2 I worked for a cogen development co that was co-owner of Little Falls Hydro and many others.

There are "minimum flow" or minimum spill into the normal river channel requirements at the dam sites and this may be what you are observing, this you can't use.

There is a co I know that owns many of the exisitng sites that may be interested in developing capacity with you. Email cameras@maqs.net

A year ago you posted the above comment. Can you contact me to let me know where you are now with your effort. I own a hydroelectric development company with numerous small projects in various stages of development.

Alan W. Skelly

awskelly@gmail.com

I am a Senior Project Manager with a registered NY engineering, development, design, construction, and management Corporation that specializes in the generation and transmission of energy including hydro electric. If i/we can be of service please contact me Gene.S@ChantGroup.com