Portland Could Generate Renewable Power In City Water Pipes

By Cassandra Profita
Oregon Public Broadcasting

The city of Portland is looking at a new system that will generate hydropower without environmental impacts to fish and stream flows. Portland-based Lucid Energy Inc. designs turbines that generate electricity from water flowing through city pipes.

Lucid has proposed to install a unique set of hydroelectric turbines inside the city drinking water line at SE 147th and Powell.

The in-pipe turbines will be capable of producing 1,100 megawatt hours of electricity a year – enough to power up to 150 homes. The power will be sold to Portland General Electric, and it will count toward Climate Action Plan goals for the city to install at least 10 megawatts of on-site renewable energy. Read more