A startup business that places small turbines in irrigation canals to generate electricity has raised $18.4 million to scale up its technology and generate carbon-free hydropower
Emily Morris, CEO and founder of Emrgy, said her inspiration for making electricity in places that some people might find unlikely was seeing the vast network of U.S. irrigation infrastructure, with water swiftly flowing through it. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation alone operates 1,600 miles of main canals.
Irrigation canals in the U.S. are made of concrete or stone and transport water from main sources to fields. Emrgy units look something like a propeller with blades rotating parallel to the ground. Water in the canals turns them and then flows past, without damming the water. The spinning turbines do change how the water moves through the canals, slowing it, so Emrgy works closely with water operators.
An installation is made up of modules that each generate 5-25 kilowatts, but Morris said the company would never deploy a single turbine, just as a solar company would not install a single solar panel on a roof. Traditional large-scale hydropower projects have faced scrutiny for their environmental impacts, including submerging communities, slowing rivers, and blocking fish migrations. Some are being demolished. On the other hand, they generate enormous amount of energy, as long as it rains and snows.
Emrgy’s systems are currently in use at Denver Water, Oakdale Irrigation District in California, a district in Salt Lake City and one in New Zealand. The company has a pilot in South Africa and is expanding.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
PAC pressures FEC to rule on Bloomberg's 'laundered' $18 million to DNCA pro-Trump political action committee went to federal court Thursday to force the Federal Election Commission to rule on a three-year-old claim that Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign “laundered” $18 million through the Democratic National Committee.
Read more »
What Does Odell Beckham Jr. Signing Mean For Ravens' Draft, Lamar Jackson Plans?The Baltimore Ravens are signing free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year contract worth up to $18 million.
Read more »
Interest rates on bank deposits trail Fed's benchmark by most in recent history: N.Y. Fed paperThe interest rates banks pay on $18 trillion in deposits lags behind the fed-funds rate by the largest gap on record, according to a New York Fed paper.
Read more »
2025 Mini Cooper first lookMini's signature hatch is getting a redesign shortly.
Read more »
Tiger Woods’ mini-golf concept PopStroke is coming to GrandscapeTiger Woods’ PopStroke outdoor mini-golf entertainment center is heading to The Colony’s Grandscape $1.5 billion entertainment, dining and shopping development.
Read more »
New Mini Cooper Electric revealed ahead of 2024 launch | AutocarNEW: The all-new Mini Cooper hatchback has been revealed ahead of its launch early next year - what do you think?
Read more »