Hydrokinetic Technology to be Tested in the St. Clair River

by Bruce Goodman

Ann Arbor-based Vortex Hydro Energy is scheduled to place a prototype hydrokinetic power generator in the St. Clair River this summer.  The technology does not use turbines or propellers, but instead harnesses the motion of the river currents across horizontal cylinders.  Energy can be extracted from currents as slow as two knots.  The generator is expected to produce one kilowatt of energy when it is operating, and will remain in the water for two to three months.