Putting the “green” back in the Green Mountain State, Vermont’s Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC recently acquired the development rights for two hydroelectric facilities from Blue Heron Hydro, LLC. This acquisition marks the first pure development project for Eagle Creek, and is scheduled to be built on Army Corps of Engineers dams in southern Vermont. Although the project represents a major step for the company in terms of fostering growth and opportunity, it also indicates the advancement of environmentally friendly facilities and an increase in general public awareness of energy conservation on a large scale.
The Blue Heron Hydro Project
Specifically, the hydroelectric facilities will be located at the Ball Mountain and Townshend dams in southern Vermont. Using only the water flowing through these dams, the facilities will total an estimated 3.1 megawatts and generate more than 10,000 MWh of clean and renewable energy each year they’re active. This outstanding efficiency is a step toward the state’s overarching goal of ensuring that at least 20 percent of Vermont’s electricity is derived from new renewable resources by the year 2017. Further support for the facilities and additional measures taken to meet this goal are made possible by the Vermont Sustainably Priced Energy Development (SPEED) program.
Bud Cherry, the CEO of Eagle Creek, recently commented on the project in a press release published by Business Wire. He stated, “The acquisition of Blue Heron is an important step in our effort to build a company that both acquires and optimizes existing hydroelectric facilities and constructs new facilities in a manner that is safe, responsible and respectful of the environment and the many stakeholders of our water resources.”
The Facts About Hydroelectric Power
One of the oldest forms of energy in the world, hydroelectric power is made possible simply by utilizing flowing water to spin turbine blades and activate generators. These generators supply power to homes and businesses in a designated area while the water is continually recycled through the blades, thus eliminating consumption without sacrificing efficacy. Although hydroelectric power plants and generators are on the rise, they still only account for about 7 percent of the nation’s total power. The majority of energy today is produced by fossil-fuel and nuclear power plants, which are much less sustainable.
In addition to the general eco-friendliness of using renewable water as a central power source, hydroelectric power comes with several additional benefits.
- Limited Pollution: Since fuel isn’t burned, hydroelectric power produces no pollution.
- Economic Efficiency: Nature provides the water for free, while the operations and maintenance costs are exceptionally affordable.
- Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Hydroelectric power helps to reduce the growing problem of global climate change.
- Reliability: Several hundred years of using this technique verifies the dependability of hydroelectric power.
Looking Forward to a Brighter Future with Sustainable Energy
The growth of hydroelectric power facilities offers excellent opportunities for those with a construction management degree to apply their skills toward building a more environmentally friendly and sustainable planet. As the planet’s resources continue to grow thin, building these more efficient facilities will become more and more urgent in preserving the environment without compromising a comfortable lifestyle.
