Hydro-powered Library One Step Closer to Reality

By Zack Seward

Rochester, NY – Rochester's central library is one step closer to being powered by an old, 19th century millrace. As the WXXI Innovation Trail's Zack Seward explains, the city wants to use river water to help keep the lights on.

According to Rochester City Engineer Jim McIntosh, the easiest way to conceptualize a hydrokinetic turbine, is to think of a partially submerged windmill.

"Basically a paddle that is sitting in the water and the water moving by spins the paddle and generates the power."

The city wants to put one or more of those paddles in an unused Erie Canal-era raceway that once diverted rushing water from the Genesee River underneath several downtown buildings.

"If we could do that and capture and store enough power to maybe run the lights on the library and offset some of our expenses at the library that would be a good thing."

On Tuesday night, Rochester city council approved the project's first step -- a $40,000 study that will figure out if it's feasible to pursue.

McIntosh says there's no estimate of when the hydrokinetic turbines will actually be spinning or how much it will cost. (A 2009 estimate from the city put the total price tag at $500,000.)

But McIntosh says if the green energy project ultimately proves to be successful, the city might be able to use the technology at other raceways around town.