PUD abandons tidal energy project

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Public Utility District pulled the plug on a tidal energy project the day before bids came in for installing two undersea turbines near Whidbey Island.

The U.S. Department of Energy has decided to not fund a full 50 percent of the project, as originally planned. The county PUD announced Tuesday that it cannot move forward without those federal dollars.

The project started in 2006 as a research effort. Two turbines were to be installed in Admiralty Inlet for no more than five years to determine whether tidal energy would be viable as a long-term power source. Initial cost estimates called for $20 million. The figure has since been revised upward to $38 million.

The project was the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and one of only a few around the world, so preliminary cost estimates were essentially educated guesswork, said Steve Klein, general manager of the PUD. In the past eight years, a lengthy permitting and licensing process and unexpected costs nearly doubled the price tag.

The $38 million figure is still just a guess, Klein said. The cutoff for companies to submit bids for manufacturing and installing turbines was to be Wednesday, after which the district could determine a better price estimate.

“This is not something where we’ve done it and don’t have a handle on the cost,” Klein said. “We’re still deciding how to do it. This project doesn’t exist anywhere except on paper.”

Officials with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Program declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement, the department said it awarded a maximum of $10 million for the Snohomish County project through a specific funding opportunity in 2010, with the understanding that the PUD would cover at least half the expense.

The PUD estimates that the project has cost less than $8 million so far, with $3.5 million coming from the Department of Energy. That amount does not include in-kind contributions such as studies performed by laboratories or for research and development of equipment by the University of Washington — neither of which was paid by the PUD, Klein said.

No ratepayer money was used for the project, he said.

At least 100 people have been involved in the tidal energy project in one way or another. No employees were assigned to it full-time.

“If you put this in perspective, this is a small part of what we do,” Klein said. “Our budget is almost three-quarters of a billion dollars.”

More than 80 percent of PUD energy is hydroelectric from dams, mostly through the Bonneville Power Administration. Up to 8 percent of the PUD’s power is wind-generated, and more than 450 customers have installed solar units. The district also is researching geothermal energy and tapping into biomass and biogas energy, which is fueled largely by wood waste and cow manure.

It’s all part of diversifying energy sources and creating long-term renewable power, according to the PUD.

“We talk about it here, but to actually go out and do renewable energy is not easy,” Klein said. “People in the U.S. feign support for renewable energy.”

If the tidal power project had moved forward, the district planned to award contracts for building turbines in December, to do site preparation by mid-2015 and to install the turbines in 2016.

The equipment would have been 200 feet underwater off the west shore of Whidbey Island. The turbines look like giant fans, each weighing 414 tons and standing 65 feet tall on a 100-by-85-foot triangular platform. The turbines would have been crafted by OpenHydro, a company based in Ireland. The platforms would have been manufactured locally, Klein said.

OpenHydro had been talking about building a new manufacturing plant in Western Washington, likely in or near Everett. Without the tidal energy project, it’s doubtful such a development will happen, Klein said.

“As with anything, you need those first initial steps,” Klein said. “We’re at the cutting edge of that and we’re facing challenges. And that’s why we need partners.”

For more than eight years, the district worked with other regional, federal and international organizations. Partners included the Department of Energy, UW, BPA, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory and OpenHydro.

The project faced some opposition. Native American tribes worried the turbines would interfere with their fishing rights or harm fish. The Tulalip Indian Tribes, Suquamish Tribe and Point No Point Treaty Council, representing the Jamestown Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes, submitted testimony against the project.

The North American Submarine Cable Association and a California-based company, Pacific Crossing, also fought the turbines, arguing that they could damage underwater fiber-optic cables. Pacific Crossing is responsible for thousands of cables that pass through Admiralty Inlet, running from the U.S. West Coast to Asia.

Despite opposition, the PUD completed licensing and permitting for the project about six months ago. The district has about a year before it must start construction or rescind those permits, said Anne Spangler, general counsel for the PUD. They plan to rescind them.

“At this point, unless we get a partner that’s willing to step up and take on a proportional share of the project, this project will not move forward,” Klein said. “The nation loses the chance to research a new renewable energy source that could have been added into the mix for powering our country in the future.”

Kari Bray: kbray@heraldnet.com, 425-339-3439.

Talk to us

More in Herald Business Journal

A man walks by Pfizer headquarters, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in New York. Pfizer will spend about $43 billion to buy Seagen and broaden its reach into cancer treatments, the pharmaceutical giant said Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP Photo / Mark Lennihan, File)
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to acquire Bothell-based Seagen

Pfizer announced Monday it plans to acquire Seagen in an all-cash deal for $43 billion.

Lacie Marsh-Carroll stirs wax before pouring candles in her garage at her home on March 17, 2018 in Lake Stevens. (Kevin Clark / The Daily Herald)
Women business owners in Snohomish, Island counties make their mark

In honor of Women’s History Month, we spotlight three local business owners.

x
Edmonds International Women’s Day takes place Saturday

The Edmonds gathering celebrates women and diversity with this year’s theme, “EmbraceEquity.”

Owner and CEO Lacie Carroll holds a “Warr;or” candle at the Malicious Women Candle Co workspace in Snohomish, Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The business is women run and owned. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Malicious Women Co: She turned Crock-Pot candles into a sassy venture

Lacie Marsh-Carroll is rekindling her Snohomish candle company with new designs and products.

Kelly Matthews, 36, left, Tonka, 6, center, and Nichole Matthews, 36, pose for a photo in their home in Lynnwood, Washington on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.  The twin sisters work as freelance comic book artists and illustrators. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Drawing interest: Twin sisters never gave up on making their mark

Lynnwood sisters, Kelly and Nichole Matthews, got their big break a decade ago and now draw comics full time.

Willow Mietus, 50, poses for a photo at her home in Coupeville, Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Mietus bought a former Frito-Lay truck to sell her dyed yarn out of. She calls it "The Wool Wagon." (Annie Barker / The Herald)
The Wool Wagon to hit the streets of Whidbey Island

A self-described “professional yarn temptress” from Coupeville is setting up shop in a modified truck.

IonQ will open a new quantum computing manufacturing and research center at 3755 Monte Villa Parkway in Bothell. (Photo courtesy of IonQ)
Quantum computing firm IonQ to open Bothell R&D center

IonQ says quantum computing systems are key to addressing climate change, energy and transportation.

Nathanael Engen, founder of Black Forest Mushrooms, sits in the lobby of Think Tank Cowork with his 9-year-old dog, Bruce Wayne, on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Growing green mushrooms in downtown Everett

The founder of Black Forest Mushrooms plans to grow gourmet mushrooms locally, reducing their carbon footprint.

Barb Lamoureux, 78, poses for a photo at her office at 1904 Wetmore Ave in Everett, Washington on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Lamoureux, who founded Lamoureux Real Estate in 2004, is retiring after 33 years. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Lamoureux, ‘North Everett’s Real Estate Agent’ retires

A longtime supporter of Housing Hope, Lamoureux helped launch the Windermere Foundation Golf Tournament.

Bothell
AGC Biologics in Bothell to produce new diabetes treatment

The contract drug manufacturer paired with drug developer Provention Bio to bring the new therapy to market.

The Walmart Store on 11400 Highway 99 on March 21, 2023 in in Everett, Washington. The retail giant will close the store on April 21, 2023. (Janice Podsada / The Herald)
Walmart announces Everett store on Highway 99 will close on April 21

The Arkansas-based retail giant said the 20-year-old Walmart location was “underperforming financially.”

Everett Memorial Stadium and Funko Field on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Drive to build new AquaSox ballpark gets $7.4M boost from state

The proposed Senate capital budget contains critical seed money for the city-led project likely to get matched by the House.