HomeMy WebLinkAboutCook Inlet TidGen Project_ORPC Alaska Application
Renewable Energy Fund Round 3
Grant Application
AEA 10-015 Application Page 1 of 36 10/7/2009
Application Forms and Instructions
The following forms and instructions are provided to assist you in preparing your application for
a Renewable Energy Fund Grant. An electronic version of the Request for Applications (RFA)
and the forms are available online at: http://www.akenergyauthority.org/RE_Fund-III.html
Grant Application
Form
GrantApp3.doc Application form in MS Word that includes an outline of
information required to submit a complete application.
Applicants should use the form to assure all information is
provided and attach additional information as required.
Application Cost
Worksheet
Costworksheet3
.doc
Summary of Cost information that should be addressed by
applicants in preparing their application.
Grant Budget
Form
GrantBudget3.d
oc
A detailed grant budget that includes a breakdown of costs by
milestone and a summary of funds available and requested to
complete the work for which funds are being requested.
Grant Budget
Form Instructions
GrantBudgetInst
ructions3.pdf
Instructions for completing the above grant budget form.
If you are applying for grants for more than one project, provide separate application
forms for each project.
Multiple phases for the same project may be submitted as one application.
If you are applying for grant funding for more than one phase of a project, provide
milestones and grant budget for completion of each phase.
If some work has already been completed on your project and you are requesting
funding for an advanced phase, submit information sufficient to demonstrate that the
preceding phases are satisfied and funding for an advanced phase is warranted.
If you have additional information or reports you would like the Authority to consider in
reviewing your application, either provide an electronic version of the document with
your submission or reference a web link where it can be downloaded or reviewed.
REMINDER:
Alaska Energy Authority is subject to the Public Records Act AS 40.25, and materials
submitted to the Authority may be subject to disclosure requirements under the act if no
statutory exemptions apply.
All applications received will be posted on the Authority web site after final
recommendations are made to the legislature.
In accordance with 3 AAC 107.630 (b) Applicants may request trade secrets or
proprietary company data be kept confidential subject to review and approval by the
Authority. If you want information is to be kept confidential the applicant must:
o Request the information be kept confidential.
o Clearly identify the information that is the trade secret or proprietary in their
application.
o Receive concurrence from the Authority that the information will be kept
confidential. If the Authority determines it is not confidential it will be treated as a
public record in accordance with AS 40.25 or returned to the applicant upon
request.
Renewable Energy Fund
Grant Application Round 3
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SECTION 1 – APPLICANT INFORMATION
Name (Name of utility, IPP, or government entity submitting proposal)
ORPC Alaska, LLC
Type of Entity:
Independent Power Producer
Mailing Address
811 West 8th Avenue, Suite 205
Anchorage, AK 99501
Physical Address
SAME
Telephone
907 250 7269
Fax
907 276 4419
Email
mworthington@oceanrenewablepower.com
1.1 APPLICANT POINT OF CONTACT
Name
Monty Worthington
Title
Director of Project Development
Mailing Address
811 West 8th Avenue, Suite 205
Anchorage, AK 99501
Telephone
907 388 8639
Fax
907 276 4419
Email
mworthington@oceanrewablepower.com
1.2 APPLICANT MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Please check as appropriate. If you do not to meet the minimum applicant requirements, your
application will be rejected.
1.2.1 As an Applicant, we are: (put an X in the appropriate box)
An electric utility holding a certificate of public convenience and necessity under AS
42.05, or
x An independent power producer in accordance with 3 AAC 107.695 (a) (1), or
A local government, or
A governmental entity (which includes tribal councils and housing authorities);
Yes
1.2.2. Attached to this application is formal approval and endorsement for its project by
its board of directors, executive management, or other governing authority. If the
applicant is a collaborative grouping, a formal approval from each participant’s
governing authority is necessary. (Indicate Yes or No in the box )
Yes
1.2.3. As an applicant, we have administrative and financial management systems and
follow procurement standards that comply with the standards set forth in the grant
agreement.
Yes
1.2.4. If awarded the grant, we can comply with all terms and conditions of the attached
grant form. (Any exceptions should be clearly noted and submitted with the
application.)
Yes
1.2.5 We intend to own and operate any project that may be constructed with grant
funds for the benefit of the general public.
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Grant Application Round 3
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SECTION 2 – PROJECT SUMMARY
This is intended to be no more than a 1-2 page overview of your project.
2.1 Project Title – (Provide a 4 to 5 word title for your project)
Cook Inlet TidGen™ Project
2.2 Project Location –
Include the physical location of your project and name(s) of the community or communities that will
benefit from your project.
The Cook Inlet TidGen™ Project (the “TidGen™ Project”), the first stage of the
larger Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, will be located 1.25 kilometers north of Race
Point, Fire Island in Upper Cook Inlet. The energy produced will be delivered to the
Railbelt Grid via the 35kVA submarine cable associated with the Wind Energy
Alaska Project on Fire Island, tying into the Chugach Raspberry substation. From
that substation, it can be sold and delivered to any of the Railbelt utilities and their
associated communities.
2.3 PROJECT TYPE
Put X in boxes as appropriate
2.3.1 Renewable Resource Type
Wind Biomass or Biofuels
Hydro, including run of river Transmission of Renewable Energy
Geothermal, including Heat Pumps Small Natural Gas
Heat Recovery from existing sources x Hydrokinetic
Solar Storage of Renewable
Other (Describe)
2.3.2 Proposed Grant Funded Phase(s) for this Request (Check all that apply)
Reconnaissance x Design and Permitting
Feasibility x Construction and Commissioning
Conceptual Design
2.4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Provide a brief one paragraph description of your proposed project.
ORPC Alaska, LLC (“ORPC”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power
Company, LLC (“the Company”), which was founded in 2004 to develop technology and
projects generating reliable, economical, emission-free electricity from tidal, river and deep-
water ocean currents. ORPC is currently developing two projects in Alaska: the Cook Inlet Tidal
Energy Project and a river in-stream hydrokinetic project in Nenana. The Company’s proprietary
ocean current generation technology is adaptable, and is used in different design configurations
depending on the current and water depth of the application. The bottom-mounted RivGen™
Power System is designed for small river applications, particularly in remote communities
without a centralized power grid; the bottom-mounted TidGen™ Power System is designed for
shallow tidal current applications; and the buoyant, moored OCGen™ Module is designed for
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deeper tidal and ocean current applications.
The Company expects to receive a Pilot Project License for the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project
from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) by October 2010. This license
permits the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project to be built to a rated peak generating capacity of 5
megawatts (“MW”) in a 6-knot current. The first part of this 5 MW project will involve installing
the TidGen™ Power System, with a rated peak generating capacity of 1 MW in a 6-knot current.
The TidGen™ Power System will consist of four (4) TidGen™ devices; each TidGen™ device is
made up of a single TidGen™ turbine generator unit (“TGU”) and a bottom support frame. The
TidGen™ Project will begin in the third quarter of 2010, and will incorporate environmental and
site characterization studies performed to date; consultations with federal and state agencies;
and data obtained in the summer 2010 testing of a TidGen™ Power System prototype in Maine.
The TidGen™ Project will include detailed engineering and specifications for all project
components, including the TidGen™ TGUs, the bottom support frames, the power electronics
and transmission system, the deployment and retrieval systems, the environmental monitoring
systems, and the data acquisition systems. Upon completion of this phase and receipt of the
FERC Pilot Project License, ORPC will release the TidGen™ Project components for
manufacture by February 2011, allowing for the completion of fabrication and shipment of the
first of four TidGen™ devices to Anchorage by May 2011. The TidGen™ Power System will be
assembled at the Port of Anchorage, and installed in phases from May to October 2011. ORPC
will extensively monitor the system to collect data essential to further site development.
In the second round of the Alaska Renewable Energy Fund, the Alaska Energy Authority
(“AEA”) recommended ORPC for full funding of the reconnaissance and feasibility phases of the
Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project; however, due to state budget concerns, this funding was never
awarded. Despite the lack of state funding, ORPC was able to raise sufficient private funds to
complete these two phases of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project. As the first stage of the Cook
Inlet Tidal Energy Project, the 1 MW TidGen™ Project is estimated to cost $6,501,066, of which
$4,514,650 will be funded by the Company and $392,426 will be funded by a grant from the
U.S. Department of Energy. Through this proposal ORPC requests that the AEA fund the
remaining $1,954,000 for the final design and construction phases of the TidGen™ Project. The
subsequent stages of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, which are not in the scope of this
application, will follow one year of testing and monitoring of the TidGen™ Power System. These
subsequent stages will include the deployment of OCGen™ Modules to gradually increase the
generating capacity to 2 MW by the end of 2012, to 5 MW by the end of 2013, and ultimately to
a commercial scale (up to 100 MW) development of the site. In order to develop to this level,
ORPC will obtain a FERC Operating License before the end of the Pilot Project License term in
2019, in all likelihood by 2015. The TidGen™ Project will be interconnected to the Railbelt
power grid through the Chugach Electric Raspberry Substation; the electricity generated will be
sold to the Railbelt utilities under purchase agreements yet to be negotiated. ORPC will
complete the TidGen™ Project work with the cooperation of Terrasond LTD, HDR|DTA, The
University of Alaska Anchorage, LGL Alaska Research Associates Inc., Aquacoustics, PND
Engineering, the Port of Anchorage, Port MacKenzie, and other local contractors.
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2.5 PROJECT BENEFIT
Briefly discuss the financial and public benefits that will result from this project, (such as reduced fuel
costs, lower energy costs, etc.)
The Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project will bring numerous benefits to the state of Alaska,
including: (1) displacing the use of sizeable amounts of fossil fuel as well as carbon emissions
and other air pollution; (2) stimulating substantial capital investment; (3) creating significant
numbers of jobs, primarily in scientific, technical, manufacturing and marine services segments
of the economy; and (4) creating a profitable business for ORPC, which will generate
considerable tax revenues for the state.
By the end of 2011, the TidGen™ Project will displace over 9.5 million cubic feet of natural gas,
corresponding to $72,000 of cost savings and 558 tons of avoided CO 2 emissions for the state.
By 2019, the subsequent stages of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project will successfully displace
over 950 million cubic feet of natural gas each year, saving the state $9.1 million in fuel costs
and avoiding 55,800 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
The $1,954,000 AEA funding requested in this proposal will leverage the Com pany’s financing
of the $6,501,066 TidGen™ Project. The associated job creation will be significant for Alaska, in
terms of both number and job quality. In Alaska, ORPC will support between 15 and 20 new and
existing jobs during the TidGen™ Project’s 18-month peak construction period, and support at
least five long-term jobs during the operating period, primarily in the scientific/engineering R&D,
manufacturing and assembly, and marine services sectors. Between 2011 and 2018, as the
Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project grows to full generating capacity, ORPC anticipates investing
several hundred million dollars to support between 100 and 200 green economy jobs during
peak construction, and at least 30 green economy jobs over the long term, in Alaska.
The TidGen™ Project is a necessary step in the commercial acceptance of the Company’s
proprietary technology, and will advance the Company to profitability in the region. Although no
power purchase agreement exists at this point, based on prevailing electricity costs, ORPC
anticipates that by the end of 2011, the 1 MW TidGen™ Project generate nearly $400,000 in
annual revenues from electricity sales, sales of carbon offsets, and other renewable energy and
production tax credits. Once the first several TidGen™ devices demonstrate the commercial
viability of the Company’s proprietary technology, and full site licensing is completed, the
technology’s adaptability and replicability will allow for rapid expansion. From 2011 to 2018 and
beyond, ORPC anticipates that the multi-stage Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project and other similar
projects in Alaska will generate revenues in the tens of millions of dollars, which will in turn
generate significant tax revenues for the state. Please refer to Section 5 below for a more
detailed analysis of the financial benefits of the TidGen™ Project.
Important non-financial benefits to the public will also be realized through the TidGen™ Project.
The project will become an ecotourism attraction that places Alaska prominently on the world’s
renewable energy map. Having a tidal energy project located close to the largest population
center in Alaska will provide a convenient tool for public education on tidal and green energy,
and will demonstrate Alaska’s expertise in this exciting new sector of the energy industry. The
TidGen™ Project will also serve as an ongoing research subject for the state university system.
In the long term, the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project will help nurture new and profound
innovations by inspiring young Alaskans to further develop the potential of their state’s natural
resources and human ingenuity.
Renewable Energy Fund
Grant Application Round 3
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2.6 PROJECT BUDGET OVERVIEW
Briefly discuss the amount of funds needed, the anticipated sources of funds, and the nature and source
of other contributions to the project.
Cook Inlet TidGen™ Project
Budget Overview
July 2010 through December 2011
Funding Sources:
The
Company
Alaska
Energy
Authority
US
Department
of Energy Total
Phase III $713,803 $8,000 $392,416 $1,114,219
Final Design, Engineering
and Permitting
Phase IV $3,440,847 $1,946,000 $0 $5,386,847
Construction, Installation
Operation and Monitoring
Total $4,154,650 $1,954,000 $392,416 $6,501,066
Percentage of Total 63.91% 30.06% 6.04%
The table above summarizes the TidGen™ Project funding plans between July 2010 and
December 2011 (the “AEA Funding Period”). ORPC has already invested significant resources
into developing and permitting the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, which encompasses the
TidGen™ Project. These efforts have been funded entirely by the Company, totaling $624,926
as of October 31, 2009, and have included work on obtaining and complying with FERC
permitting; site characterization work; environmental data collection; meetings with
communities, agencies, stakeholders, contractors, public officials and others involved or
affected by the project; and participation in organizations, conferences and industry meetings.
An additional $1,015,601 of Company funds and $207,584 of a grant from the U.S. Department
of Energy (“DOE”) discussed below will be spent on the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project prior to
the availability of AEA grant funding in July 2010. ORPC attributes the monies spent on project
development prior to July 2010 to the expanded 5 MW Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, not to
the 1 MW TidGen™ Project.
The completion of the TidGen™ Project during the AEA Funding Period will require $6,501,066,
to be funded as follows: (1) $4,154,650 by the Company; (2) $392,416 by the DOE, which
recently committed $600,000 to help monitor beluga whale interactions with the Cook Inlet Tidal
Energy Project; and (3) $1,954,000 by the AEA, pursuant to this Renewable Energy Fund
Round III grant application. The Company’s and the DOE’s funding commitments will count as
cost share within the AEA Funding Period. ORPC’s funding request of $1,954,000 from the AEA
thus corresponds to 30% of the TidGen™ Project’s funding requirements during the AEA
Funding Period, with the Company providing 64% and the DOE providing the remaining 6%.
2.7 COST AND BENEFIT SUMARY
Include a summary of grant request and your project’s total costs and benefits below.
Grant Costs
(Summary of funds requested)
2.7.1 Grant Funds Requested in this application. $1,954,000
2.7.2 Other Funds to be provided (Project match) $4,547,066
2.7.3 Total Grant Costs (sum of 2.7.1 and 2.7.2) $6,501,066
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Project Costs & Benefits
(Summary of total project costs including work to date and future cost estimates to get to a fully
operational project)
2.7.4 Total Project Cost (Summary from Cost Worksheet
including estimates through construction)
$6,501,066
2.7.5 Estimated Direct Financial Benefit (Savings) $2,625,892
(Includes 20 year NPV at 3% real
discount rate of fuel costs avoided,
$2,542,879 and carbon offset
payments avoided at $10 per ton,
$83,013)
2.7.6 Other Public Benefit (If you can calculate the benefit in
terms of dollars please provide that number here and
explain how you calculated that number in your application
(Section 5.)
$ 7,341,584
(Includes (1) 5 permanent jobs
created for 20 years at $55,000
each, $5,500,000; (2) multiplier
effect of new jobs on local
economy at 10% of jobs created,
$550,000; (3) 20 year NPV at 3%
real discount rate of portion of
O&M (95%) spent in Alaska,
$877,620 (annual O&M is
calculated at 1.5% of Capital
Costs per suggestion of AEA); and
(4) ancillary investments such as
grid upgrades, port upgrades, etc,
at 10% of capital cost, $413,964.)
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SECTION 3 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Describe who will be responsible for managing the project and provide a plan for successfully
completing the project within the scope, schedule and budget proposed in the application.
3.1 Project Manager
Tell us who will be managing the project for the Grantee and include a resume and references
for the manager(s). If the applicant does not have a project manager indicate how you intend to
solicit project management support. If the applicant expects project management assistance
from AEA or another government entity, state that in this section.
Project Manager – Monty Worthington
**Résumé and references attached**
3.2 Project Schedule
Include a schedule for the proposed work that will be funded by this grant. (You may include a
chart or table attachment with a summary of dates below.)
**SEE ATTATCHED PROJECT SCHEDULE**
Final Design and Permitting
o December 2010 – Detailed design/engineering of component systems completed
o December 2011 – Initial reporting on environmental assessment of the TidGen™
Project in compliance with FERC Pilot Project License requirements
Construction
o April 2011 – TidGen™ system components arrive at Port of Anchorage
o June 2011 – Initial TidGen™ Power System deployment completed
o September 2011 – Three additional TidGen™ devices deployed
o December 2011 – Initial data collection and TidGen™ Project report completed
3.3 Project Milestones
Define key tasks and decision points in your project and a schedule for achieving them. The
Milestones must also be included on your budget worksheet to demonstrate how you propose to
manage the project cash flow. (See Section 2 of the RFA or the Budget Form.)
Design and Permitting
1. Project scoping and contractor solicitation for project implementation, May 2010
a. Project scoping completed based on FERC final License application
b. Potential contractors for project implementation solicited
2. 2010 Environmental study plans finalized and 2010 field season data collection
underway, July 2010
a. Submit final FERC Pilot Project License application (FERC Draft License
Application was submitted in March 2009) with final study plans
b. Finalize contracts for summer field work
c. All studies implemented and started
3. FERC Pilot Project License received, land use issues resolved, October 2010
a. FERC license received and finalized within six months of final filing
b. Complete consultations with necessary land owners (CIRI, USCG, FAA) and
establish agreements to utilize lands as needed for project
4. Final system design complete, December 2010
a. Complete final design of TidGen™, including complete engineering and
specifications for the four TidGen™ devices, their bottom support frames, the
power transmission system, deployment and retrieval systems, environmental
monitoring systems, and data acquisition systems.
5. Engineering cost estimate complete, December 2010
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a. Update estimate of costs for Project components and installation
6. Technical and economical analysis complete, PPA finalized, Final Design Review by
NREL complete, January 2011
a. Perform technical analysis of project and design review with NREL
b. Finalize PPA with utilities
c. Update economic analysis of project
7. Report on 2010 environmental studies, review with agencies and stakeholders, finalize
post deployment Permit approvals, February 2011
a. Finalize study reports
b. Disseminate reports to agencies and stakeholders
c. Schedule public and agency meetings to go over study results
d. Finalize post deployment study plans
8. All additional Permit applications applied for, February 2011
a. Apply for Fish Habitat Permit
b. Apply for Army Corps Title 10 Permit
9. All Permits received, April 2011
a. Secure FERC Pilot Project License
b. Secure Fish Habitat Permit
c. Secure Army Corps Title 10 Permit
10. Project monitoring for FERC license compliance implemented, July 2011
a. Continue operations of DOE funded beluga study
b. Implement DIDSON and hydroacoustic monitoring of project for fish and marine
mammal interactions
c. Implement ADCP monitoring of effects on current distributions
d. Implement data acquisition of output of TidGen™ devices
11. Project monitoring for FERC license compliance completed, January 2012
a. Finalize reports on results of environmental studies
b. Disseminate reports to agencies, stakeholders, and the public
c. Schedule meetings to go over results of studies
Construction
1. Confirmation that all design and feasibility requirements are complete, January 2011
a. NREL review meeting held to evaluate final design before release of components
for manufacture and procurement.
2. Bids received for initial TidGen™ device components, components released for
manufacture, February 2011
a. Initial TidGen™ device components released for manufacture
3. Deployment and operations contractors selected, contracts signed, March 2011
a. Deployment and maintenance plans and documents outlining necessary
contractor roles complete.
b. Receive and evaluate contractor bids for project deployment and operations
c. Execution of bid documents with contractors complete (Port of Anchorage,
Marine service contractor, Cable deployment contractor, Electrical Contractor)
4. Initial TidGen™ device components procured, prepared for shipment, three additional
TidGen™ device components released for manufacture, April 2011
a. Initial TidGen™ device components received in Maine
b. Additional TidGen™ device components released for manufacture
c. Initial TidGen™ device components prepared and shipped to Port of Anchorage.
5. Initial TidGen™ Power System components arrive at Port of Anchorage, May 2011
a. Components shipped from Maine arrive
b. Bottom support frame components procured
c. Ancillary system components arrive
6. Bottom support frame fabrication complete at port of Anchorage, June 2011
a. Bottom support frame construction complete
7. Bottom support frame andsShore station deployed, July 2011
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a. Prep the site for the shore station on Fire Island
b. Complete deployment area site preparation and install bottom support frame
c. Trench power cable across the airstrip on Fire Island
d. Deliver and install modular shore station and switchgear on Fire Island
8. Initial TidGen™ device and power transmission system deployed. Three additional
TidGen™ device components procured and prepared for shipment, July 2011
a. Submarine power cable deployed from bottom support frame to Shore station
b. Power system interconnected
c. Initial TidGen™ device deployed and interconnected to power system
d. TidGen™ Power System interconnected to Grid with data acquisition systems.
9. Three additional TidGen™ devices arrive at Port of Anchorage. Three additional bottom
support frames complete. Reporting on performance of initial TidGen™ device.
September 2011
a. Three additional TidGen™ devices arrive at Port of Anchorage
b. Three additional bottom support frames complete
c. Initial operation of TidGen™ device reported on to agencies, stakeholders and
the public.
10. Deployment of three additional TidGen™ devices complete, October 2011
a. Three additional bottom support frames deployed
b. Power system installed and connected for three additional devices
c. Three additional TidGen™ devices deployed
d. TidGen™ Power System interconnected to Grid
11. Initial operation report on device performance completed with NREL review, January
2012
a. Collect sufficient data to report on operation of TidGen™ devices
b. Finalize reports on initial operation of TidGen™ devices with third party NREL
review, and disseminate to agencies and stakeholders
c. Evaluate economics of Project for future deployment of OCGen™ modules with
third party verification by NREL.
3.4 Project Resources
Describe the personnel, contractors, equipment, and services you will use to accomplish the
project. Include any partnerships or commitments with other entities you have or anticipate will
be needed to complete your project. Describe any existing contracts and the selection process
you may use for major equipment purchases or contracts. Include brief resumes and references
for known, key personnel, contractors, and suppliers as an attachment to your application.
As a hydrokinetic industry pioneer, the Company has gained unmatched multi-seasonal marine
operations experience over the past two years in deploying, testing, and monitoring “first of its
kind” tidal in-stream energy conversion devices in the Bay of Fundy’s adverse marine and
weather environments. The key to its success has been the collective experience, expertise,
dedication, commitment, and problem-solving prowess of the Company’s professional team.
The Company’s management team, Technical Advisory Board, Management Committee, and
partner, Caithness Development, include professionals with extensive experience and proven
track records in developing, permitting, financing, constructing, operating, and managing
cogeneration, independent power and renewable energy facilities, as well as forming, funding,
and managing startup and technology development companies. The extended Company team
includes highly respected firms and individuals with extensive experience in turbines,
generators, submersible vessels, composite manufacturing, power electronics, control systems,
power plant licensing, environmental permitting, community outreach, project management,
construction and operations, legal services, and all other relevant areas of expertise.
ORPC’s Key Personnel
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D. Douglas Johnson, Director of Projects, ORPC Alaska, LLC - As an investor, business
owner, entrepreneur, professional manager and business consultant with over 30 years
of project development experience in Alaska, Mr. Johnson has a comprehensive
background in business development, with a firsthand appreciation of what it takes to
make projects successful in Alaska. Mr. Johnson’s comprehensive project development
experience ranges from the launch of Alaska’s first biotech company to the planning and
development of a $2 billion hospital in Abu Dhabi. Developing Alaska’s renewable
energy potential is one of Mr. Johnson’s passions, and one to which he brings four
generations of Alaskan heritage.
Monty Worthington, Director of Project Development, ORPC Alaska, LLC - Mr.
Worthington has over 10 years of experience designing and implementing renewable
energy systems in Alaska, including Alaska's first hydrokinetic project in Ruby in the
summer of 2008 with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council. He also has
extensive experience in the design, installation, and maintenance of marine electrical
systems.
Company Management Team
The Company management team includes the following highly experienced, accomplished and
respected professionals:
Christopher R. Sauer, P.E., President and CEO – Mr. Sauer is a non-practicing
professional engineer, energy entrepreneur, and strategic development consultant with
more than 30 years of experience in executive management, engineering, construction,
project development, marketing, financing, and startup company formation and
management in the electricity, cogeneration, renewable energy and energy efficiency
industries. Mr. Sauer is a founding member of the Company and has ultimate day-to-day
responsibility for its management.
John R. Cooper, Senior Vice President and CFO – Mr. Cooper has more than 30 years
of experience as a senior finance executive involved in energy industry project finance
and development. Mr. Cooper is a founding member of the Company and has
responsibility of its financial management, including raising equity and debt funding from
private and public sources.
Ernest K. Hauser, Vice President of Project Development – Mr. Hauser has overall
management responsibilities for the development and management of all Company
projects, including directing and managing environmental permitting, community
relations, vendor relations and negotiations, commercial contracts, cost estimates,
construction management and startup. Mr. Hauser has over 35 years of experience in
development, engineering, construction, operation, maintenance, and project and asset
management for the energy, power, and chemical/petrochemical industries.
Jarlath McEntee, M.S., P.E., Vice President of Technology and Engineering – Mr.
McEntee directs analysis, subscale prototyping, construction and testing of the
Company’s advanced design cross-flow turbines, including scale modeling and full scale
testing. Mr. McEntee has 20 years of experience in testing, design, and manufacture of
alternative energy systems, and is responsible for all technical aspects of the Company’s
technology.
Robert A. Lewis, Director of Operations – Mr. Lewis is responsible for all management
aspects of the Company’s prototype tidal energy project in Maine. Mr. Lewis is an
experienced professional and dependable decision-maker with expertise in innovation,
program development, employee supervision and training, regulatory compliance, health
and safety, fiscal discipline, and community relations.
Company Consultants and Advisors
The following technical team consultants will assist in planning, designing, engineering, and
procuring the TidGen™ Power System components, by performing analytical studies,
requirements analysis, systems engineering, detailed engineering, quality control, specification
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development, vendor selection and procurement, fabrication, assembly, installation, and testing.
Patrick J. McGinnis, P.E., Director of Systems Engineering and Procurement – Mr.
McGinnis has more than 20 years of experience working with major engineering firms
including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Ford Aerospace, and more recently
with management of R&D projects at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Mr. McGinnis
leads the evaluation and selection of technologies and initial component design required
for the deployment of the Company’s proprietary technology in various water streams.
Millar S. Firebaugh, Sc.D., Senior Technical Advisor – Dr. Firebaugh, a retired Rear
Admiral in the U.S. Navy, former Chief Engineer of Electric Boat Corp., and former COO
of SatCon Technologies, is a recognized leader in the engineering and production of
advanced technology, including R&D, ship design, shipbuilding, power systems and
electronics, and executive management. Dr. Firebaugh is a member of the Company’s
Technical Advisory Board.
Peter R. Betzer, Ph.D., Technical Advisor - Dr. Betzer, former Dean of the School of
Marine Science at the University of South Florida, and a member of the Company
Technical Advisory Board, will provide input and direction for the oceanographic and
marine engineering aspects of the Project. Dr. Betzer is a world-renowned authority in
geochemistry.
Mary McCann, Senior Aquatic Scientist and Manager of Environmental Services for
HDR|DTA – Ms. McCann has over 20 years of experience in fisheries and aquatic
habitat studies, fish passage studies, aquatic resources and RTE surveys, water quality
studies, general environmental impact analysis and assessments, and federal and state
licensing and permitting.
David Oliver, Geophysicist, Terrasond LTD. – Mr. Oliver has over 18 years of technical
experience in the geotechnical and geophysical industry. His recent work has focused
on the development of in-stream hydrokinetic and tidal renewable energy feasibility
programs. These investigations have included resource assessment, site selection, and
hazard assessment. He is an expert at program design and field data collection, as well
as the precise management and spatial analysis of remotely sensed data. Mr. Oliver has
knowledge of a wide variety of geophysical tools and investigative techniques, as well as
an in-depth understanding of Earth surface and subsurface science.
Tom Ravens PhD., Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Alaska,
Anchorage – Dr. Tom Ravens is an associate professor in the Department of Civil
Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Dr. Ravens has 15 years of
experience in hydrodynamic (wave and current) and sediment transport modeling and
analysis and has published widely in this field. Dr. Ravens is currently developing flow,
wave, and sediment transport models for Cook Inlet and the Beaufort Sea.
Tamara McGuire PhD., Lead Scientist, LGL Alaska Research Associates Inc. – Dr.
Tamara McGuire has 19 years of experience as a wildlife biologist and a marine
mammal scientist, and is the project manager and principal investigator for current LGL
studies of Cook Inlet beluga whales. Dr. McGuire has conducted land- and boat-based
research on Cook Inlet beluga whales and has logged over 500 hours monitoring and
theodolite tracking beluga whales and vessels around the Port of Anchorage in Upper
Cook Inlet.
Jim Campbell, Principal/Senior Engineer, PND Engineers, Inc. – Mr. Campbell has more
than 20 years of experience in geotechnical and civil engineering, surface and
subsurface hydrology, hydrogeology and environmental investigations. He has
performed extensive geotechnical investigation and design work, both on- and offshore,
for assessment and design of roadway, building, tank farm and marine structure
foundations.
ORPC is committed to recruiting and retaining contractors and partners for the TidGen™ Project
from within Alaska whenever possible, and to encouraging businesses it works with to establish
a presence in the state, advancing the industry through executed contracts with technical and
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project support resources. This approach will help create the infrastructure for future tidal and
hydrokinetic projects in Alaska. ORPC’s key partners for this Project include: Terrasond LTD.;
The University of Alaska Anchorage; LGL Alaska Research Associates, Inc.; HDR|DTA; PND
Engineering, Inc.; Aquacoustics; Alaska Center for Energy and Power; Port of Anchorage; Port
MacKenzie; the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation; and the Matanuska-Susitna
Borough.
3.5 Project Communications
Discuss how you plan to monitor the project and keep the Authority informed of the status.
ORPC will develop a TidGen™ Project communications plan that best matches the information
needs of AEA, as it also did during the initial discussion phase of its Nenana hydrokinetic test
site. ORPC maintains a permanent office in Anchorage, which will facilitate prompt reporting to
AEA on the TidGen™ Project performance and timeline. ORPC will submit regular quarterly
progress reports on the TidGen™ Project via email to AEA, and will schedule meetings as
necessary or as requested to update AEA staff on the project.
3.6 Project Risk
Discuss potential problems and how you would address them.
Funding: For the TidGen™ Project to be successful, the Company must secure additional
funding beyond its current cash reserves for the various phases of the Project at the appropriate
times. To this end, the Company is pursuing funding from diversified sources including state and
federal grants, private investment capital entities, and individuals. Over the past four years, the
Company has successfully raised more than $14 million of public and private funding to develop
its proprietary technology, and to permit and develop its sites in Maine and Alaska where this
technology will be deployed first. For ORPC’s Alaska projects, the Company recently secured
$600,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund beluga studies, and $750,000 to fund a
mooring system for the OCGen™ Module, which will be used in the later stages of the Cook
Inlet Tidal Energy Project. ORPC has also been successful in securing funding from the Denali
Commission for its Nenana Hydrokinetic Project. In the summer of 2009, the Company entered
into a strategic relationship and joint venture with Caithness Development, LLC, an established
and respected renewable energy project developer, owner and operator. Caithness contributes
significant funding and other key resources towards the Company’s endeavors.
Environmental Permitting: The appropriate environmental studies and analyses must be
completed to ensure compliance with federal and state licensing and permitting requirements,
and to provide a basis for continuing that minimizes any potential impacts on the marine
environment.
Beluga whales: Of particular focus for ORPC in the Cook Inlet area are the local beluga
whales, which have recently been added to the endangered species list. It is of utmost
importance that the TidGen™ devices are monitored to ensure that they do not further
endanger this whale population, and that they fully comply with all restrictions imposed
by the Endangered Species Act. In September 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy
(“DOE”) awarded ORPC $600,000 to fund a thorough study of the interaction between
the Cook Inlet Beluga whales and the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project. This DOE study
will include visual and state-of-the-art Passive Hydroacoustic Monitoring (“PAM”)
technologies that promise to allow year-round monitoring of the beluga presence in the
TidGen™ Project area. The study will provide an in-depth understanding of the project’s
potential impacts on the Cook Inlet belugas. Consultations with the National Marine
Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) will continue to ensure that all ORPC studies adequately
address the concerns of NMFS, and that the TidGen™ Project does not negatively affect
the belugas.
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Ice: There are concerns over the effects of surface ice, “beach ice” (large agglomerated
blocks of ice and sediment), and frazzle ice on the TidGen™ devices. Initial
conversations with experts at the University of Alaska indicate that surface and beach
ice are unlikely to penetrate to a depth where they will interact with the devices, which
will be installed 40' below the surface. Frazzle ice is also unlikely to penetrate this deeply
into the inlet waters; indeed, U.S. Coast Guard regulations only require a water intake
depth of 10 feet for ships in the inlet to avoid frazzle ice in their engine water intakes.
There is, however, the possibility of ice agglomerated with rock or sediment being
suspended in the water column in the area of the TidGen™ devices. ORPC will conduct
studies to determine the extent, if any, of this ice at the planned deployment depths, and
implement any necessary modifications to the design to accommodate ice in this portion
of the water column. The main concern with the ice in Cook Inlet will be the effect of
surface ice on maintenance activities. ORPC can avoid this potential constraint by
adjusting the TidGen™ Project maintenance schedule accordingly.
Sediment Transport: There are two potential concerns with regard to sediment transport.
The first is the possibility that due to the slowing of natural currents by the TidGen™
turbines, sediment will be deposited and create shoals in shipping channels. The second
is the concern that natural sediment transport will adversely affect the TidGen™ devices’
support structure and/or buried transmission lines. ORPC will partner with the University
of Alaska and the National Northwest Marine Renewable Energy Center (“NNMREC”) to
model sediment transport prior to installation, and will use the TidGen™ Project to
monitor and predict the future effects of TidGen™ devices on sediment patterns. ORPC
will use the data collected to plan installations accordingly.
Foundation/mooring system design: ORPC must consider the difficulty of mooring in the
challenging environment of Cook Inlet. Local engineering firm PND Engineers, Inc. (“PND”) will
assist with the design of the bottom support and mooring systems. PND has extensive
experience in oil and gas industry mooring systems in Cook Inlet, and is also a primary
contractor on the Port of Anchorage expansion.
Power Transmission: The power transmission system must be safe and reliable. Local
contractors with relevant experience in this area will design and deploy the system to ensure its
safety and effectiveness. The TidGen™ Project will share power transmission infrastructure with
the Wind Energy Alaska’s Fire Island Wind Project. In accordance with the TidGen™ Project
timeline, the submarine cable transmitting power to shore is scheduled to be installed in the
summer of 2011. ORPC maintains ongoing communication with Wind Energy Alaska to ensure
synchronized construction timing between the two companies.
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SECTION 4 – PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND TASKS
Tell us what the project is and how you will meet the requirements outlined in Section 2 of
the RFA.
The level of information will vary according to phase(s) of the project you propose to
undertake with grant funds.
If you are applying for grant funding for more than one phase of a project provide a
plan and grant budget form for completion of each phase.
If some work has already been completed on your project and you are requesting funding for
an advanced phase, submit information sufficient to demonstrate that the preceding phases
are satisfied and funding for an advanced phase is warranted.
4.1 Proposed Energy Resource
Describe the potential extent/amount of the energy resource that is available.
Discuss the pros and cons of your proposed energy resource vs. other alternatives that may be
available for the market to be served by your project.
According to a June 2006 Electric Power Research Institute (“EPRI”) report, the Cairn Point
portion of ORPC's FERC tidal site near the mouth of Knik Arm, a relatively small subset of the
entire site, has an average flow potential of 116 MW 1. Since the existing data comes, however,
from transects done for the proposed Knik Arm bridge crossing rather than for power generation,
further feasibility studies on the Cairn Point resource are needed, both to accurately quantify this
value and to optimize the deployment location for maximum power extraction. Though the
amount of extractable power in this resource still needs to quantified, a conservative 15% would
mean an average 17.4 MW of extractable power, peaking at larger amounts during stronger tidal
flows just in this small subset of the ORPC site.
Though the full potential of the entire FERC site area’s developable portion is yet to be
determined, the feasibility phase of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project will make substantial
progress towards this determination. ORPC has now relocated the pilot project installation to an
area 1.25km north of Fire Island, where in the summer of 2009, Terrasond confirmed an average
energy density of 1.34kW/m2 over a full lunar cycle. This compares favorably with depth-
averaged energy densities ranging from 1.1 to 1.8kW/m2 n the Cairn Point area of the project
site documented in the EPRI report.
Graph 1. Power Densities over 6 week period at Fire Island site
The TidGen™ Project installation and assembly facilities will be located at the Port of
Anchorage, where all the components will be delivered, stored, assembled, and shop-tested.
The bottom support frames may be fabricated in Anchorage, depending on final design
specifications, and will be ready to install by May 2011. While the local contractors have not yet
been chosen for the deployment work, several contractors are being considered, including Cook
1 1 Brian Polagye and Mirko Previsic, “System Level Design, Performance, Cost and Economic Assessment – Knik
Arm Alaska Tidal In-Stream Power Plant” (EPRI – TP – 006 AK), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), June
10, 2006.
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Inlet Tug and Barge for TidGen™ device deployment and Maritech services for subsea cable
laying operations. Deployment of the first device will begin in May 2011, first with site preparation
and the installation of the bottom support frame and transmission cable, and then with the
mounting of the TidGen™ TGU onto the bottom support frame. At the same time, the shore
station site on Fire Island will be prepared and the modular on-shore station and switchgear will
be delivered and installed. The necessary trenching for the power cable across the Fire Island
airstrip will occur concomitantly with the trenching for the Wind Energy Alaska-Fire Island Wind
Projects’ submarine cable to Point Worenzoff. The junction point of these two cables will be tied
to ORPC’s power transmission system. The first TidGen™ device installation will be completed
by July 2011, and will then be operated and monitored for one month to collect data and plan for
the subsequent installation of three more TidGen™ devices by the end of September 2011. The
initial TidGen™ Power System (consisting of four TidGen™ devices) will be operated and
monitored for one year. Beginning December 2011, ORPC will issue and review quarterly reports
on operation and environmental monitoring, which will supply much-needed information for
further site development under the FERC Pilot Project License. NREL will review these reports to
provide third party confirmation of the results, and federal and state agencies will analyze them
to assess potential environmental impacts.
At the present time, most of the power for the Anchorage ML&P and Chugach service areas
comes from natural gas. While this has been a reliable resource for power generation in the past,
most Railbelt utilities are approaching the end of their natural gas contracts, and decreasing
resource availability, along with price escalation, is a serious concern. Current estimates of the
Cook Inlet natural gas resource indicate that it could be depleted as soon as 2022. If a spur gas
transmission line from the proposed natural gas pipeline were built, it could temporarily alleviate
this shortage, but because prices for this supply would depend on the world market price for
natural gas, the cost of electricity would dramatically increase. The TidGen™ Project will offer
emission-free power that will both decrease the use of natural gas and provide a flat-priced
alternative as natural gas prices continue to rise. Since the TidGen™ Project will produce no
greenhouse gases whatsoever, it will also be protected from the future carbon taxes that will
likely be applied to electricity produced by natural gas; this will further improve the project’s
economic benefits to the local energy market.
Wind Energy Alaska’s Fire Island Wind Project, a 54 MW -capacity project scheduled for
installation in 2011, will make an excellent complement to ORPC’s TidGen™ Project, since the
transmission line from Fire Island to Point Worenzof can be used with both the wind and the tidal
resources. The power generated by ORPC’s TidGen™ Project will also be more predictable and
reliable than wind power, and will be able to be dispatched more easily, thus curbing the
oscillations in power output inevitably produced by wind energy. Right now, since wind
technology is much more developed than tidal technology, it is more economical. However,
because tidal energy has the added advantage of predictability, it promises to be a comparably
more reliable and cost-effective resource once the industry reaches its commercialization phase.
Traditional hydropower plants already exist on the Railbelt grid, and others, such as a 330 MW
Lake Chakachamna project, are being investigated for possible development. While these
traditional projects offer reliable power that is also economical, upfront costs are quite high. They
tend to couple well with renewable projects whose output varies periodically, since modern hydro
turbine controls allow them to ramp up and down with the availability of other resources , thereby
conserving and effectively utilizing reservoir capacity. Hydro plants already balance wind
resources well in this manner, and the predictable nature of tidal energy will make this kind of
integration easier and even more efficient. Environmentally, hydropower has created
longstanding concerns about its impact on fish habitat, since its turbines are potentially harmful
to fish that pass through them, and since the intakes often funnel or “suck” fish into them. Where
andronomous fish like salmon spawn, such as in Lake Chakachamna, hydropower plants
become a particular issue, by diverting returning fish toward the turbines’ outflow rather than
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toward their natural spawning stream; any Lake Chakachamna project will need to address this.
With tidal power, however, there is no ducting and no “sucking” pressure funneling fish into the
turbines; moreover, the slow speed (40rpm) of the turbine foils poses minimal risk to the fish.
Subsequent TidGen™ Project monitoring will verify these fundamentals.
There is potential for future geothermal development in Alaska, particularly at Mount Spurr near
the Beluga power infrastructure. Geothermal energy holds the promise of being a clean, stable,
renewable energy source, though there are technical challenges in implementing it in seismically
active and glacially dynamic areas such as Mount Spurr. Any geothermal project installed there
would also integrate well with tidal power (as with hydro power), by acting as a system balance.
Another alternative being investigated by local Railbelt utilities is coal-fired power plants. Tidal
energy has significant environmental advantages over coal-fired power, as well as the potential
to be more economically competitive, as economies of scale drive costs down and the fully
embedded cost of coal continues to rise. Coal-fired power produces not only CO2, which adds to
the effect of global warming, but also mercury, a toxic contaminant that accumulates in the food
chain and has become a recent concern in wild Alaskan salmon. Tidal power has none of these
disadvantages, as it is a totally clean renewable energy resource.
4.2 Existing Energy System
4.2.1 Basic configuration of Existing Energy System
Briefly discuss the basic configuration of the existing energy system. Include information about
the number, size, age, efficiency, and type of generation.
Railbelt Energy Project - NA
4.2.2 Existing Energy Resources Used
Briefly discuss your understanding of the existing energy resources. Include a brief discussion of
any impact the project may have on existing energy infrastructure and resources.
Currently, most of the power used in both the ML&P and Chugach service areas of Anchorage
comes from the Beluga natural gas field and power plant. While ML&P has a more stable supply
of natural gas than other utilities, it is well known that this resource is dwindling. The natural gas
infrastructure in Upper Cook Inlet happens to span an area that is also ideally suited to tidal
energy development. The locations of platforms, generation facilities, and power transmission
would all allow the integration of tidal energy into this power generation system. It is estimated
that the current reserves and known gas resources in Cook Inlet will be depleted by 2022.
Enstar, which operates the regions natural gas system, is doing emergency drills this winter to
ensure preparedness in case of a gas shortage in times of high demand. In addition, if a spur
from the proposed gas pipeline becomes a reality, the gas in Alaska will no longer be considered
“stranded” gas and will thus be at the mercy of much higher world market prices. In the short
term, the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project would combat these problems by helping to displace
the use of gas and thus extend the resource’s viability. In the long term, benefits would also
accrue from having introduced an alternative energy source that integrates well with natural gas
powered plants, existing hydro plants such as Eklutna and Bradley lakes, and/or the future
development of other energy resources such as Lake Chakachamna hydro, the Fire Island Wind
Project, or Mount Spurr geothermal.
The 1 MW TidGen™ Project installation will have a minor impact on the local energy market, and
the power transmission infrastructure associated with the Fire Island Wind Project will more than
accommodate this. As the subsequent stages of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project are built up
to 5 MW, it will be possible to examine how the energy generated from the project will interface
with wind energy generation. Coincident peaks in the output of both projects may slightly exceed
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the capacity of the transmission line, although it is anticipated that this may occur only a few
hours per year, in which case either ORPC’s TGUs or the wind generators can be taken off line
in a phased manner to manage the power output. In the future, ORPC sees the possibility of
developing the tidal energy of Cook Inlet in the Forelands area of the Upper Inlet as well. Here,
the infrastructure of the oil and gas platforms could potentially be used to facilitate power
transmission to shore through already established conduits, and the power transmission
infrastructure would be ideally suited to further transmit the power to Anchorage. The timing of
the peak tidal currents in this area and the Northern Cook Inlet are such that the peak output is
offset by approximately two hours, allowing the generation from these two locations to achieve a
stable and nearly base load power source with complementary peaks and valleys in power
output levels. As natural gas production drops off, ORPC foresees the possibility of a gradual
shift to tidal energy generation as a means to augment, and eventually replace, natural gas.
4.2.3 Existing Energy Market
Discuss existing energy use and its market. Discuss impacts your project may have on energy
customers.
The energy market on the Railbelt grid will require significant alternative power production as
natural gas supplies decline. The TidGen™ Project will provide stable, predictable, economical,
emission-free power to customers on the Railbelt grid. In addition, commercializing the
Company’s proprietary technology in Cook Inlet will allow tidal technology to expand into the
rural energy market in Alaska, where it will offer customers relief from the high cost of power
associated with diesel generation facilities.
4.3 Proposed System
Include information necessary to describe the system you are intending to develop and address
potential system design, land ownership, permits, and environmental issues.
4.3.1 System Design
Provide the following information for the proposed renewable energy system:
A description of renewable energy technology specific to project location
Optimum installed capacity
Anticipated capacity factor
Anticipated annual generation
Anticipated barriers
Basic integration concept
Delivery methods
The core component of the Company’s proprietary technology is the turbine generator unit
(“TGU”), shown in Figure 1. The TGU uses advanced design cross-flow (“ADCF”) hydrokinetic
turbines to drive a submarine permanent magnet generator mounted between the ADCF turbines
on the same shaft. The precise design of the TGU varies according to the application in which it
will be used. In the RivGen™ Power System (small river applications) and the TidGen™ Power
System (shallow tidal applications), individual TGUs are secured to the riverbed or seabed with a
bottom support frame (see Figure 2). In OCGen™ Modules (deep tidal applications), TGUs are
“stacked” to create larger underwater power generation platforms (see Figure 3). OCGen™
Modules will be submerged to a prescribed distance above the seabed, with no components
located or visible on the surface, and will be held in place using a deep sea mooring system. A
commercial scale deep water project will employ an array of OCGen™ Modules, shown in Figure
4. The Company has filed several utility and PCT patent applications for its ADCF turbine, its
underwater permanent magnet generator, and its TGU.
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Figure 1
Turbine Generator Unit (TGU)
Rated Power = 250MW @ 6 knots
Figure 2
TidGen™ Device: TGU and Bottom Support
Frame
Rated Power = 250 KW @ 6 knots
Figure 3
OCGen™ Module
Rated Power = 500 kW @ 6 knots
Figure 4
An Array of Moored, Buoyant OCGen™ Modules
In the TidGen™ Project, the first phase of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, four TidGen™
devices will be deployed one at a time. Each TidGen™ device is rated at 250 kW in a 6-knot
current, corresponding to a total peak generating capacity of 1 MW . After ORPC has tested and
monitored the TidGen™ Project installation for one year, it will begin to deploy OCGen™
Modules at the same site. Due to depth constraints in Cook Inlet, the OCGen™ Modules will
consist of two 250 kW TGUs (shown in Figure 3), giving it a generating capacity of 500 kW in a
6-knot tidal current. This will increase the generating capacity of the site to 2 MW in 2012, 5 MW
in 2013, and eventually to the site’s full generating capacity (up to 100 MW) by 2018.
Though the final size of the Cook Inlet site will be determined in the feasibility phase of the
TidGen™ Project, preliminary estimates from the 2006 EPRI study suggest that a 17.4 MW
capacity is obtainable in the Cairn point area alone, which is a relatively small subset of the
entire site. The capacity factor for a tidal project in an area with peak current speeds of 6 knots,
which are found within Fire Island deployment area, is estimated at 35 percent. This would lead
to an anticipated annual generation of almost 3 million kWh per 1 MW of installed nameplate
peak capacity.
The electricity produced by this installation will be transmitted to ORPC’s shore station on Fire
Island via a submarine cable. There, the electricity will be power-conditioned to grid-compatible
three-phase power, and will be connected to the submarine cable associated with the Wind
Energy Alaska Fire Island Wind project, to be installed in 2011. This cable will transmit the power
to Chugach Electric’s Raspberry substation; from there it will be dispatched to the purchasing
utility on the Railbelt grid.
The Cook Inlet environment presents challenges that must be overcome, including ensuring that
ice, particularly frazzle ice, does not interfere with the project. Initial investigations, however,
suggest that the project’s deployment will be well below the range of either frazzle ice or
conglomerated surface ice. Another site-specific challenge is the heavy silt content of the Cook
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Inlet waters. It will be essential to ensure that this does not affect the design life of the TGUs , but
since the TGU has minimal moving parts, this should not be a major concern. The University of
Alaska will complete materials testing of various TidGen™ components to identify and
appropriately modify any materials showing vulnerability to silt erosion. Mooring and foundations
in the Cook Inlet environment will be another technical challenge to address with the assistance
of local expertise. Alaskan companies such as PND Engineers, Inc., with their extensive
experience in dealing with mooring issues in Cook Inlet oil and gas developments, will help
surmount this hurdle.
4.3.2 Land Ownership
Identify potential land ownership issues, including whether site owners have agreed to the
project or how you intend to approach land ownership and access issues.
The subsurface lands that will be used for mooring and power transmission systems are state
property, and will thus be subject to appropriate Alaska Department of Natural Resources
(“DNR”) land use permitting requirements. On Fire Island, there are three landowners with whom
ORPC has been in consultation: Cook Inlet Region Inc. (“CIRI”), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the
FAA. At this point in time, it appears likely that only FAA lands will be involved, though alternative
routes would include the use of CIRI and USCG land. All of the landowners have been receptive
to allowing ORPC to use their land. In August 2009, ORPC constructed and utilized a tower on
USCG land for beluga observations, and successfully licensed and complied with USCG land
use policies for this installation.
4.3.3 Permits
Provide the following information as it may relate to permitting and how you intend to address
outstanding permit issues.
List of applicable permits
Anticipated permitting timeline
Identify and discussion of potential barriers
FERC Preliminary Permit: Secures site for ORPC Alaska. Obtained in April 2007.
FERC Pilot Project License: Allows for initial testing of hydrokinetic device in preliminary
site area. Draft Application filed March 31, 2009; Final Application due April 2010.
Fish Habitat Permit (ADF&G): The Fish Habitat Permit requires a 50 day review period
which includes a public notice and comment period coinciding with the Coastal Zone
Management review. It will be applied for by February 2011 and procured by April 2011.
Army Corps of Engineers (“ACOE”) Title 10 permit: Requires 60-90 days for approval and
Coastal Zone consistency for final authorization. Permit will be applied for by January
2011 and procured by April 2011.
Coastal Zone Management: Requires 50 days within ACOE permitting timeline. Will be
applied for with ACOE title 10 permit by January 2011 and procured in April 2011.
Alaska Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) Water Rights: Waived; not necessary
for non-freshwater
U.S. Coast Guard (“USCG”) Notification: The USCG will conduct a waterways
assessment in conjunction with the ACOE permitting process and will recommend
approval/disapproval.
U.S. Coast Guard land use license: Obtained in June 2009 for the purpose of
constructing a tower for beluga whale observations.
4.3.4 Environmental
Address whether the following environmental and land use issues apply, and if so how they will
be addressed:
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Threatened or Endangered species
Habitat issues
Wetlands and other protected areas
Archaeological and historical resources
Land development constraints
Telecommunications interference
Aviation considerations
Visual, aesthetics impacts
Identify and discuss other potential barriers
Of prime importance to the success of the TidGen™ Project is ensuring it has no adverse impact
on the Cook Inlet beluga whale population, which has recently been added to the endangered
species list. To address the beluga issue, ORPC will consult with National Marine Fisheries
Service (“NMFS”) to guarantee that the TidGen™ Project does not further endanger the beluga
population, and to guarantee that the Project is compliant with the Endangered Species Act.
ORPC has already relocated its initial Pilot Project to an area off of Fire Island known for its low
beluga usage. LGL Alaska Research Associates, Inc., in collaboration with HDR|DTA, has been
contracted to design and implement the necessary baseline beluga studies and turbine
monitoring to make sure that there are no negative interactions with the belugas. Additionally,
ORPC has secured a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to monitor beluga
whale activity pre- and post-deployment with cutting edge passive acoustic technology. This
funding will allow for a rigorous assessment of the interactions between the beluga whales and
the TidGen™ Project that will more than satisfy permitting requirements.
Habitat concerns include those regarding the critical beluga habitat as well as the salmon
habitat. Studies concerning both of these will be conducted as required by NMFS and the
conditions of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Fisheries Habitat Permit.
There is no expected impact on or use of wetlands, as ORPC devices will be mounted
underwater in the deepest Cook Inlet channels. The same applies to impacts on local
archaeological sites, historical sites, telecommunications interference, and aviation
considerations.
The main land development constraints will involve the use of state subsurface lands, which will
be addressed through the DNR land use permit, and the use of surface land to transmit power
once it is delivered to shore. Currently, all of the landowners on Fire Island have expressed
willingness to work with ORPC and make land available for power transmission and
infrastructure.
One additional issue to address will be the effect of the TidGen™ devices on sediment transport.
There is a possibility that the devices will alter the local currents that normally transport
sediment, thereby causing silt to accrue in navigable channels or local ports. The University of
Alaska has particular expertise in this area, as they were contracted for similar studies on the
Knik Arm bridge crossing study. From initial discussions, it seems that a simple 1-D model can
be made to assess the local impacts of a single device, and that further 3-D modeling will allow
simulations of larger installations. This modeling will allow their effects on sediment transport to
be understood, and these findings to be incorporated into future plans so as to avoid a negative
impact on shipping channels and local ports.
4.4 Proposed New System Costs and Projected Revenues
(Total Estimated Costs and Projected Revenues)
The level of cost information provided will vary according to the phase of funding requested and
any previous work the applicant may have done on the project. Applicants must reference the
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source of their cost data. For example: Applicants Records or Analysis, Industry Standards,
Consultant or Manufacturer’s estimates.
4.4.1 Project Development Cost
Provide detailed project cost information based on your current knowledge and understanding of
the project. Cost information should include the following:
Total anticipated project cost, and cost for this phase
Requested grant funding
Applicant matching funds – loans, capital contributions, in-kind
Identification of other funding sources
Projected capital cost of proposed renewable energy system
Projected development cost of proposed renewable energy system
The table in section 2.6 summarizes the TidGen™ Project funding plans between July 2010 and
December 2011 (the “AEA Funding Period”). ORPC has already invested significant resources
into developing and permitting the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, which encompasses the
TidGen™ Project. These efforts have been funded entirely by the Company, totaling $624,926
as of October 31, 2009, and have included work on obtaining and complying with FERC
permitting; site characterization work; environmental data collection; meetings with communities,
agencies, stakeholders, contractors, public officials and others involved or affected by the
project; and participation in organizations, conferences and industry meetings. An additional
$1,015,601 of Company funds and $207,584 of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy
(“DOE”) discussed below will be spent on the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project prior to the
availability of AEA grant funding in July 2010. ORPC attributes the monies spent on project
development prior to July 2010 to the expanded 5 MW Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, not to the
1 MW TidGen™ Project.
The completion of the TidGen™ Project during the AEA Funding Period will require $6,501,066,
to be funded as follows: (1) $4,154,650 by the Company; (2) $392,416 by the DOE, which
recently committed $600,000 to help monitor beluga whale interactions with the Cook Inlet Tidal
Energy Project; and (3) $1,954,000 by the AEA, pursuant to this Renewable Energy Fund Round
III grant application. The Company’s and the DOE’s funding commitments will count as cost
share within the AEA Funding Period. ORPC’s funding request of $1,954,000 from the AEA thus
corresponds to 30% of the TidGen™ Project’s funding requirements during the AEA Funding
Period, with the Company providing 64% and the DOE providing the remaining 6%.
The following phases have been funded or will be funded as follows:
Phase 1 – Reconnaissance
The reconnaissance phase of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project is expected to be complete by
the time this grant proposal is submitted. A total of $283,000 has been spent on this phase and
has been funded solely by the Company. The budget for this phase is attributed to the 5 MW
Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, not to the 1 MW TidGenTM Project.
Phase 2 – Feasibility and Conceptual Design
The feasibility phase of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project will have a total budget of $872,073
and will end with the submission of the FERC Pilot Project License Application by March 31,
2010. The Company has supplied all of the funding for this phase of the project to date,
amounting to $341,926 and will fund the remaining $530,147 as part of the full Cook Inlet Tidal
Energy Project. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”) will be contracted at the
end of this phase to provide Project oversight through periodic review meetings. An initial
meeting with NREL will be held to confirm that ORPC’s analysis of the TidGen™ Project’s
feasibility is accurate and realistic. The budget for this phase is attributed to the 5 MW Cook Inlet
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Tidal Energy Project, not to the 1 MW TidGenTM Project.
Phase 3 - Final Design/Engineering and Permitting
The final design/engineering and permitting of the TidGen™ Project is estimated to cost
$1,807,257. This will include the final design and detailed engineering of four TidGen™ devices
specifically for Cook Inlet; final designs of the power transmission, bottom support frame, and
deployment plan; the implementation of environmental studies and monitoring in compliance with
the FERC Pilot Project License; and the procurement of all the necessary permits and approvals
required to install the first four TidGen™ devices. The permitting portion of this phase will include
work completed under a $600,000 grant from the DOE (DE-FOA-0000069), awarded to ORPC in
September 2009 to implement a study monitoring the interactions between the Cook Inlet beluga
whale population and the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project. The information gathered will be used
to obtain and comply with the FERC Pilot Project License. At the end of the final design phase,
NREL will again hold a review meeting to perform a final engineering review before the first
device’s major components are released for manufacture. A subsequent review meeting in the
first quarter of 2011 will focus on the design of data acquisition and monitoring systems before
they are released for procurement and assembly. $693,038 of the budget for this phase will be
attributed to the 5 MW Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, with the remaining $1,114,219 attributed
to the 1 MW TidGenTM Project.
Phase 4 – Construction/Installation/Operation/Monitoring
The construction phase of the first MW of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project is expected to cost
$5,386,847, consisting mainly of capital costs of $4,139,640. This phase will include the
procurement, manufacturing and fabrication of all the TidGen™ device components; the
assembly and shop testing of the TidGen™ devices; the shipping of those components to the
Port of Anchorage; the deployment of the four TidGen™ devices; the operation and monitoring of
the TidGen™ devices; and the analysis and reporting of data collected from the project, including
final NREL review meetings and reports. The entire budget for this phase is attributed to the 1
MW TidGen™ Project.
4.4.2 Project Operating and Maintenance Costs
Include anticipated O&M costs for new facilities constructed and how these would be funded by
the applicant.
(Note: Operational costs are not eligible for grant funds however grantees are required to meet
ongoing reporting requirements for the purpose of reporting impacts of projects on the
communities they serve.)
The annual maintenance would require raising the TidGenTM devices to the surface for cleaning
and inspection, while the major maintenance would involve towing them to shore to do a
generator overhaul, general tune up, and bearing and seal replacement. At the suggestion of
AEA in the comments received on ORPC’s 2008 Round II application for the Renewable Energy
Grant, the annual operation and maintenance costs are assumed to be 1.5% of capital costs,
which for the 1 MW TidGenTM Project amount to $62,095. Virtually all of these expenses will be
incurred in Alaska for parts, supplies, labor, and service contracts to local marine service
companies. Based on the same methodology, for the 5 MW Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project,
annual O&M costs will be $242,095. ORPC is not anticipating applying for grant funding for this
portion of the project, but rather plans to support these costs through internal funding sources.
4.4.3 Power Purchase/Sale
The power purchase/sale information should include the following:
Identification of potential power buyer(s)/customer(s)
Potential power purchase/sales price - at a minimum indicate a price range
Proposed rate of return from grant-funded project
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The potential buyers for the electricity generated by the TidGen™ Project include all the local
Railbelt utilities. At this point, however, ML&P, Chugach Electric and Matanuska Electric
Association are the primary utilities being considered, as they own the nearby electrical
infrastructure. A power purchase agreement (“PPA”) will be negotiated in the feasibility phase of
the TidGen™ Project, but initial estimates of power purchase rates for Railbelt utilities range
from $0.04 per kWh with local utility ML&P to $0.135 per kWh with Fairbanks utility GVEA. The
current plan would intertie the TidGenTM Project in 2011 with the Chugach Electric grid, which
would save Chugach Electric a predicted $0.108 per kWh.
4.4.4 Project Cost Worksheet
Complete the cost worksheet form which provides summary information that will be considered
in evaluating the project.
Download the form, complete it, and submit it as an attachment. Document any conditions or
sources your numbers are based on here.
SECTION 5– PROJECT BENEFIT
Explain the economic and public benefits of your project. Include direct cost savings,
and how the people of Alaska will benefit from the project.
The benefits information should include the following:
Potential annual fuel displacement (gal and $) over the lifetime of the evaluated
renewable energy project
Anticipated annual revenue (based on i.e. a Proposed Power Purchase Agreement price,
RCA tariff, or cost based rate)
Potential additional annual incentives (i.e. tax credits)
Potential additional annual revenue streams (i.e. green tag sales or other renewable
energy subsidies or programs that might be available)
Discuss the non-economic public benefits to Alaskans over the lifetime of the project
ORPC's Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project promises to bring long term, diversified benefits to the
state of Alaska and its people. Through the TidGen™ Project, ORPC will develop and install a
device that produces clean, reliable, and reasonably priced electrical energy from locally
available hydrokinetic resources, replacing environmentally unsound, volatile fossil fuels.
Significant, far-reaching benefits include: (1) developing Alaska’s world-class tidal energy
resources using the most environmentally benign form of electricity generation—and by doing
so, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars of new investment to the state; (2) creating new
high-paying technical jobs; (3) bringing in significant new tax revenues; and (4) creating
numerous non-economic public benefits for Alaskans.
Table 1 below summarizes the numerous quantifiable benefits of the TidGenTM Project and
subsequent expansion of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project. As the first stage of a much larger
project, the 1 MW TidGenTM Project should be viewed as a “pilot” project. On a dollars per MW
basis, the pilot will be expensive compared to the local utility’s existing generation options,
primarily due to the high costs of permitting and licensing (which must be amortized over a very
small project), and other economies of scale, which will come with future project installations.
However, when the avoidance of carbon offset payments, jobs, ORPC’s investment, and the
Alaskan content of the project’s O&M expenditures are taken into account, even the 1 MW
TidGenTM Project becomes economically attractive. Moreover, as Table 1 illustrates, once ORPC
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expands the generating capacity of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project to 1 00 MW, the project’s
advantages are more than considerable.
Table 1.
Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project Benefits and Costs Over 20 Years
Project Size
1 MW 5 MW 20 MW 100 MW
Project Benefits
Generation Benefits
Advantage of ORPC versus Utility Generation $2,542,879 $12,714,394 $50,857,577 $254,287,883
Carbon Offset Pmnts Avoided (@ $10/ton CO2) $83,013 $415,065 $1,660,261 $8,301,304
Total Generation Benefits $2,625,892 $13,129,459 $52,517,837 $262,589,187
Other Benefits
Permanent Jobs Created (5, 10, 20, 30) $5,500,000 $11,000,000 $22,000,000 $33,000,000
Portion of O&M Spent in AK (95%) $877,620 $4,388,102 $17,552,406 $87,762,031
Total Other Benefits $6,377,620 $15,388,102 $39,552,406 $120,762,031
Multiplier Effects on Local Economy
Multiplier Effect of New Jobs (10%) $550,000 $1,100,000 $2,200,000 $3,300,000
Multiplier Effect of Investment (10%) $413,964 $1,200,000 $4,000,000 $20,000,000
Total Multiplier Effects $963,964 $2,300,000 $6,200,000 $23,300,000
TOTAL PROJECT BENEFITS $9,967,476 $30,817,561 $98,270,244 $406,651,218
Project Costs
Capital Cost * $4,139,640 $16,139,640 $56,139,640 $256,139,640
Development Costs * $2,361,426 $4,209,537 $6,209,537 $7,209,537
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS * $6,501,066 $20,349,177 $62,349,177 $263,349,177
Benefit to Cost Ratios
Generation Benefits/Cost Ratio 0.40 0.65 0.84 1.00
Generation and Other Benefits/Cost Ratio 1.38 1.40 1.48 1.46
All Benefits/Cost Ratio 1.53 1.51 1.58 1.54
* The capital and development costs for each stage of the project include all expenditures that occurred
for the prior stages of the project. For example, to get to 5 MW, another $12 million is added to the
$4,139,640 capital cost of the 1 MW project and another $1,848,111 million is added to the $2,361,426
development costs of the 1 MW project, to get to a 5 MW project with a cumulative cost of $20,349,177.
The bulk of development costs are for permitting, which occur early on at the 1 MW and 5 MW stages.
Fossil Fuel Displacement: ORPC’s proprietary technology can contribute significantly to reducing
the use of fossil fuels and their associated polluting greenhouse gas emissions. Table 2 below
illustrates the annual amounts and costs of natural gas displaced and the amount of CO2
emissions avoided over the next ten years as the first and subsequent stages of the Cook Inlet
Tidal Energy Project progress.
By the end of 2011, the TidGen™ Project will displace over 9.5 million cubic feet of natural gas,
corresponding to $72,000 of cost savings and 558 tons of avoided CO2 emissions for the state.
By 2019, the subsequent stages of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project will successfully displace
over 950 million cubic feet of natural gas each year, saving the state $9.1 million in fuel costs
and avoiding 55,800 tons of CO2 emissions annually. Because natural gas costs have been
historically volatile and this analysis uses a fixed price escalation rate, the cost savings over time
may even be substantially greater, since the Company’s proprietary technology uses absolutely
no fossil fuels.
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The rapid increase in capacity shown in Table 2 is possible because the Company’s proprietary
technology is scaled up through replication, rather than by building increasingly larger or
distinctly different units. The core of the technology is always the TGU. Once ORPC installs the
first successful TidGen™ Project and obtains its FERC operating licenses for full development of
the site, expanding beyond 5 MW will incur limited additional costs. OCGen™ Modules
(consisting of stacked, buoyant TGUs) will be deployed in moored, underwater arrays on the
same site. The inherent flexibility of this type of stacked, arrayed deployment allows ORPC to
adapt its technology to a wide variety of sites, eliminating the need to develop site-specific
devices. The resulting efficiencies and economies of scale greatly enhance the market for the
Company’s proprietary technology.
Table 2.
Annual Fossil Fuel Displacement, Fuel Cost Savings, and CO2 Emissions Avoided
by Chugach Electric Association Inc as a Result of ORPC's
Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project
End of Year 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
Megawatts Generated 1 5 10 75 100
Kilowatt-hours Generated 2,912,700 14,563,500 29,127,000 218,452,500 291,270,000
Chugach Electric Assoc. Avoided Cost of
Natural Gas (per 000 cubic feet) * $7.55 $8.41 $8.83 $9.28 $9.51
Natural Gas Use Avoided (000 cubic feet) 9,538 47,688 95,377 715,325 953,766
Natural Gas Cost Avoided $72,009 $401,059 $842,176 $6,638,215 $9,070,319
Avoided Tons of CO2 Emissions 558 2,790 5,580 41,848 55,798
*Based on Estimated Gas Prices in Chugach Electric Association’s August 15th 2008 Tariff Advice
Letter No. 297-8, Table C1, Page 7.
Job Creation and Capital Investment: The Project is an essential part of the commercialization of
the Company’s proprietary technology. From 2011 through 2018, ORPC anticipates installing
100 MW of capacity through the various stages of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, which at a
cost of approximately $6,500 for the first kilowatt to $2,500 for the nth kilowatt will correspond to
approximately $263 million of capital investment in Alaska (Table 1). The Company’s investment
in Alaska will also result in substantial job creation and support.
The success of the Company’s project development subsidiaries has depended heavily on their
ongoing dialogue with the local communities at all of their project sites. The Company first
proved its positive economic impact on local communities in Maine through its 2008 prototype
TGU project, which at its height employed 37 direct hire and local subcontractors. Today, the
fabrication, assembly, installation and testing of the Beta Pre-Commercial TGU Project supports
40 to 60 jobs, and has introduced several million dollars into the local economy. In Alaska,
ORPC estimates that within eighteen (18) months, at the peak of fabrication and installation, the
TidGenTM Project will support 15 to 20 new and existing jobs across a variety of skill levels --
scientific/engineering R&D, manufacturing and assembly, and marine services sectors -- driven
by R&D; the procurement of components; the assembly, and deployment and ongoing
monitoring of equipment. Over the long-term operating period, the TidGenTM Project should
result in five new jobs. Based on its recent hiring experience, the Company forecasts that jobs in
this sector will pay an average of $55,000 per year, resulting in an aggregate payroll of
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approximately $825,000 to $1.1 million annually at the peak of fabrication and installation, and
$275,000 annually during long-term operation. The recipients of this income will in turn spend
money, creating multiplier effects that will bring even more economic benefits to the region,
leading to additional new jobs, increased wages, and more personal disposable income. In
Maine, according to the 2008 E2 Tech Council Study (Economic Profile of the Environmental and
Energy Technology Sector in Maine), this multiplier effect is 80 percent. Since Anchorage and
Alaska are generally more urban/industrial than rural Maine, ORPC uses a modest 10 percent
multiplier in Table 1. By 2018, ORPC will have invested hundreds of million dollars of capital in
Alaska, resulting in 100 to 200 jobs at the peak of project construction and 30 jobs over the long
term. Table 1 does not account for the benefits of construction period jobs; to be conservative,
only the benefit of long-term operating period jobs is shown.
ORPC currently has a staffed office in Anchorage and has already begun expanding staff with
the development of the first Alaskan projects (Cook Inlet and Nenana), which are currently being
permitted and have retained local contractors for much of this activity. ORPC intends to hire local
fabricators, assembly and deployment contractors, a full time project manager, and technical
personnel. In addition, local marine service companies will be contracted for deployment and
maintenance; local scientific companies will be used for site analysis and environmental impact
assessments; local engineering firms will be contracted for design of mooring and power
transmission systems, and the local ports will be contracted for TidGen™ Project support. Final
assembly of TidGen™ Power Systems and OCGen™ Modules for Cook Inlet and subsequent
projects will be done at the Port of Anchorage and Port MacKenzie with Alaskan labor. Local
ports and marine service industries will secure significant long term contracts in the installation,
operation, and maintenance of the TidGen™ and OCGen™ systems, and local scientific
companies will be utilized to continually monitor and refine the installations. ORPC has partnered
with many Alaskan companies and institutions, such as Terrasond LTD, LGL Alaska Research
Associates, Inc., Aquacoustics, PND Engineers, Inc., local marine service companies, and local
ports. In addition, the University of Alaska, Anchorage and the Alaska Center for Energy and
Power are engaged as partners in the TidGen™ Project, creating opportunities for educators,
researchers and students alike by bringing a tidal energy focus to the university system.
Operation and Maintenance: Assuming O&M costs are 1.5%2 of the capital investment
(excluding development costs), the annual O&M budget would be $62,000 for the 1 MW
TidGenTM Project, increasing to approximately $242,000 for a 5 MW project and to $3.8 million
for a 100 MW project. Essentially all of the O&M budget for the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project
will be spent locally in Alaska.
Revenues: The Project will be interconnected to the Railbelt Grid through Chugach Electric, and
the electricity generated will be sold to the Railbelt utilities. At this point, ORPC has not
negotiated a final power purchase agreement with any local utilities, but preliminary studies
suggest that, at the time of installation in 2011, a reasonable agreement would be an avoided
cost rate of $0.108 per kWh for Chugach Electric. This does not include a premium, prevalent in
other parts of the country, for the renewable, emission free attributes of the energy sold . If
Alaska or the nation adopts a Renewable Portfolio Standard, then the additional gain from the
sale of renewable energy credits would enhance the revenue stream and economic appeal of the
TidGenTM Project. Table 3 below shows ORPC’s forecast for revenues from electricity sales as
the Cook Inlet Tidal Project progresses, growing from $315,000 to $25 million from 2011 to 2019
and beyond.
2 As suggested by the AEA in comments to ORPC’s 2008 Round II Renewable Energy Fund Application.
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Table 3.
Revenues from the Multi-Stage Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project
Year 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
Kilowatt-hours Generated 2,912,700 14,563,500 29,127,000 218,452,500 291,270,000
Chugach Avoided Energy Cost ($/KWh)* 0.108 0.078 0.080 0.083 0.085
Electricity Sales Revenues $314,572 $1,135,953 $2,340,063 $18,076,988 $24,825,730
Production Tax Credit ($/KWh) 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011
PTC Revenues $32,040 $160,199 $320,397 $2,402,978 $3,203,970
TOTAL $346,611 $1,296,152 $2,660,460 $20,479,966 $28,029,700
*Values for 2011 to 2013 Avoided Energy Costs from Chugach Electric Association’s August 15th 2008 Tariff Advice Letter No.
297-8, Table A, Page 4. Values for 2015 and beyond are estimated by ORPC.
Potential Additional Annual Incentives (i.e. tax credits): Marine and hydrokinetic energy
production with a minimum capacity of 150 kW is eligible for federal renewable electricity
production tax credits (“PTC”) of 1.1¢/kWh. Table 3 above shows the PTC contributing an
additional annual incentive of $32,000 in 2011, growing to about $3.2 million by 2019. ORPC
anticipates that future tax credits will increase to match the 2 ¢/kWh currently offered for wind
and biomass projects, leading to a higher all-in sales price and shorter payback periods.
Potential Additional Annual Revenue Streams (i.e. green tag sales or other renewable energy
subsidies or programs that might be available)
Carbon Offset Payments: The American Clean Energy and Security Act awaiting approval
from Congress includes an initiative unlikely to change in substance: a mandated cap on
carbon emissions, phased in through 2050. Carbon offset payments are a way to mandate
limits on and then establish a price for polluting by burning fossil fuels. On April 1, 2007,
Boulder, Colorado implemented the first U.S. offset payment on carbon emissions from
electricity at a level of approximately $7 per ton, and in June 2009, the Boulder City Council
voted unanimously to raise the tax level on the order of 80%, or up to $12-$13 per ton. Table
1 calculates that avoiding carbon offset payments at $10 per ton of CO2 emissions will result
in $83,000 in savings for Alaska from the 1 MW TidGenTM Project alone; this will increase to
$8.3 million once the expanded project’s generating capacity grows to 100 MW.
Investment Tax Credits: On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Section 1603 of the Act’s tax title appropriates
payments to qualified applicants in an amount generally equal to 10% or 30% (depending on
property type) of a property’s basis. To qualify, an energy property must be placed in service
during 2009 or 2010 (or after 2010 if construction was begun on the property during 2009 or
2010); it is likely that these deadlines will be extended, as they have been for other renewable
energy technologies in the past. The TidGenTM Project meets this criterion, and ORPC expects
to take advantage of this benefit, reducing the capital investment required in the project and
enhancing the economic returns to project investors. (See “Payback Period” discussion below.)
Renewable Energy Credits: Along with carbon offsets and other incentive programs,
Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) are part of a growing movement. Also called Green Tags
or Tradable Renewable Certificates, RECs are certificates issued by a government agency to
a power company (such as ORPC) that utilizes environmentally friendly methods of
generating electricity. Potential RECs on the order of $0.04 per KWh would add $100,000 for
the 1 MW TidGenTM Project and $10 million for a 100 MW project. Since ORPC has already
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taken PTCs (in lieu of investment tax credits) of 1.1¢/kWh into account, to be conservative, no
RECs are shown in Table 1. (Notably, a provision of a national renewable portfolio standard,
which would result in a national market for RECs, is included in current draft energy
legislation before Congress.)
Payback Period: Total payback period corresponds to the amount of time required for annual
operating income to accrue sufficiently to cover the cumulative costs of adding capacity to the
system. If ORPC were to consider solely the time that the expanded Cook Inlet Tidal Energy
Project will take to reach a generating capacity of 100 MW, the total payback period for the
project would be 12.5 years. However, calculating with investment tax credits (“ITC”) rather than
with PTC effectively reduces the capital cost by about 30%. Although the ITC is scheduled to
expire in several years, it has been extended for eight years for the solar industry, and ORPC
assumes that it will be similarly extended for the tidal energy industry. This extended ITC would
shorten the payback period for an investor in this project to 10.25 years (Table 4). ORPC’s
increase in the Cook Inlet site’s generating capacity to 100 MW will occur between 2011 and
2018, a period of seven years, and will cost $263 million over this time period. The healthy
operating income of the 100 MW project can pay for the much larger project costs in only 4.5
years, or 3.25 years after taking into account the ITC and foregoing the PTC, which is an option
under current law.
Table 4.
Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project Payback Calculation
($000)
End of Year: 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Project Year: 1 3 5 7 9 11 13
Assumptions:
MW Added Every Two Years 4 5 65 25 0 0
MW Produced 1 5 10 75 100 100 100
Cost of Additional MW $6,501 $13,848 $14,000 $166,188 $62,813 $0 $0
Investment Tax Credit Assumed 30%
MWH Produced @ 35% Cap. Factor 2,913 13,288 26,575 199,316 265,755 265,755 265,755
Sales Price per KWH esc at 2%/yr $0.108 $0.112 $0.117 $0.122 $0.127 $0.132 $0.137
Production Tax Credit Rate $/KWh 0.011 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.014
Operating Income Calculations:
Revenues from Electricity Sales 315 1,493 3,107 24,242 33,628 34,987 36,400
O&M Costs at 1.5% of Capital Costs 62 242 442 2,905 3,842 3,842 3,842
Operating Income (Excludes PTC) 252 1,251 2,665 21,337 29,786 31,145 32,558
Payback Calculations:
Beginning Project Costs 0 4,266 12,019 16,515 99,782 78,055 9,394
Plus: Incremental Project Costs
(Includes ITC) 4,551 9,694 9,800 116,331 43,969 0 0
Less: Operating Income 285 1,941 5,304 33,064 65,696 68,661 71,745
Ending Project Costs 4,266 12,019 16,515 99,782 78,055 9,394 0
Payback Yrs Starting With First MW: 10.25
Payback Yrs Once Capacity is 100
MW: 3.25
Non-Economic Public Benefits to Alaskans (over the lifetime of the project): Tidal energy
represents one of the most environmentally benign and potentially cost effective methods for
generating electricity, and Alaska’s world class tidal energy resources are as robust as any in the
United States. Because these resources’ power density is so high, developing them is both
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technically and environmentally appealing. The University of Alaska, already widely recognized
for excellence in the fields of environmental science and power generation, will gain even more
technical experience through its connection to a world class, “first of its kind” green power
resource like the TidGen™ Project.
In the long run, with the mass production of the Company’s proprietary technology, many areas
of rural Alaska with high energy costs will become new markets for this technology, at prices that
will be attractive compared to those of existing power technologies. Numerous sites in the Gulf of
Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and Southeast Alaska have already demonstrated exceptional tidal
energy potential. As ORPC develops this industry and capacity within the state of Alaska, it will
also expand, and contribute its knowledge and skills toward the development of new projects
around the world. In this way, the TidGen™ Project will help make Alaska the hub of tidal
expertise it is naturally predisposed to be. Alaska, which is located along major shipping and
future circumpolar routes, and which possesses the second highest tidal range in the world
(Cook Inlet) as well as an estimated 95% of the nation’s total tidal power potential (estimated at
an astounding 109 TWh per year) is perfectly situated to become a central figure in the world's
tidal energy industry.
SECTION 6– SUSTAINABILITY
Discuss your plan for operating the completed project so that it will be sustainable.
Include at a minimum:
Proposed business structure(s) and concepts that may be considered.
How you propose to finance the maintenance and operations for the life of the project
Identification of operational issues that could arise.
A description of operational costs including on-going support for any back-up or existing
systems that may be require to continue operation
Commitment to reporting the savings and benefits
ORPC is the business entity that will commercialize the Company’s proprietary technology in
Alaska. The business plan is to develop tidal and hydrokinetic technology and projects that will
serve both the Railbelt and rural Alaskan needs. To accomplish this, ORPC is pursuing a two
pronged approach: 1) to develop utility-scale technology that delivers emission-free, predictable,
reliable electricity to the Railbelt Energy Grid at a price that is competitive with existing and future
power generation options; and 2) to concurrently develop rural micro-gird scale technology that
will be portable, easy to deploy and maintain with rural Alaskan infrastructure, and that will be
price-competitive with existing diesel electrical generation systems as well as future energy
options. The rural micro-grid technology is the RivGen™ Power System, which will be deployed
at ORPC’s Nenana site. The utility-scale development will take place through ORPC’s Cook Inlet
Tidal Energy Project.
In the early phases of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, ORPC has been structured to focus on
the preparation needed to develop the world-class tidal energy site of Cook Inlet. During this
period, company staffing has consisted of two Alaskans. The Alaska Projects Director, Doug
Johnson, continues to lead strategic development, developing and managing the relationships
with communities, partners and agencies that are needed for successful business growth through
new projects. The Alaska Director of Project Development, Monty Worthington, manages the day-
to-day activities that ensure project success. In the early phases of the Cook Inlet Project, Mr.
Worthington has been coordinating the work of many local firms under contract to assist with the
site assessment and permitting.
Upon completion of the early phases of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, a new organizational
structure will be developed with a detailed staffing plan to support the assembly, deployment and
testing of the initial TidGen™ Power System for Cook Inlet. TidGen™ device testing will take
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place over a full year; upon its completion, ORPC will first build the Cook Inlet site in stages to 5
MW, and then develop the site to its full potential (100 MW or more). Several Alaska -based
companies have contributed to the feasibility and reconnaissance work on the project, and will be
contracted for deployment and maintenance of the system once it is in place. In anticipation of the
TidGen™ Power System deployment in 2011, ORPC will begin staffing by the summer of 2010.
Power purchase agreements will be developed and executed with local utilities to assure the
sustainability of the project. ORPC has entered into early conversations with the utilities, and
provides them with periodic updates on the TidGen™ Project’s progress.
Subsequent expansion of OCGen™ Module arrays within the Cook Inlet site will take place as
funding is secured and production is ramped up. During this period, the business structure will
change from a development company model to an operating company model. As Cook Inlet
settles into a power production mode, ORPC will be developing other tidal and river sites
throughout the state, and systematically bringing them into production.
ORPC will fund TidGen™ Project maintenance by reinvesting revenue generated by the project
back into its O&M. Revenue will be diverted to support this function before being utilized in any
other aspect of ORPC’s business in Alaska. If needed, ORPC can also utilize funds from its
parent company to subsidize any lack of internal revenue during the early stages of the TidGen™
Project’s development.
Operational issues associated with the TidGen™ Project are similar to operational issues in the
marine industry. ORPC has developed the following table to address these potential issues and
the contingency plan associated with each:
Contingency Probability Impact Mitigation Response
TidGen™ TGU
complete
breakaway from
bottom support
frame
Improbable TGU floats to the
surface and
becomes a
navigation hazard
High safety factor on
attachment of TidGen™
TGU to bottom support
frame and a pressure
activated GPS beacon to
notify control center and
track position.
Recover TGU
and repair
TidGen™ TGU
partial breakaway
from bottom
support frame
Low Reduced TGU
output and
efficiency
High safety factor on
attachment to bottom
support frame .
Recover TGU
and repair.
Foreign object
strikes TGU
Low No impact on TGU
- No loss of output
Structural damage
to TGU - No loss of
output
Structural failure of
TGU- loss of TGU
output
Device operates at depths
below floating objects and
above the ocean floor.
Device is designed to
operate at partial output.
None
Recover and
effect repairs
Recover and
replace while
repairs are
effected
Flotsam and jetsam
entangles TGU
Low Loss of TGU output
- reduced device
output
Device is designed to
operate at partial output;
notice to mariners of
device deployment area.
Clear debris
Loss of electrical
power connection
Low Loss of output
power
Connectors are protected
by structural members from
strikes by foreign objects.
Retrieve device
and repair.
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Loss of electrical
data connection
Low Loss of
instrumentation
data
Connectors are protected
by structural members from
strikes by foreign objects.
Retrieve device
and repair.
TGU generator
failure
Low Reduced output
power
Generator is sealed
against water intrusion and
designed to operate at the
depths and temperatures
contemplated.
Retrieve device
and repair
TGU mechanical
failure-couplings,
shaft, bearings,
foils
Low Reduced output
power
Materials and bearings will
be lab tested in water with
high silt content to ensure
they can withstand Cook
Inlet environmental
conditions.
Schedule
maintenance at
appropriate
intervals indicated
by materials
testing
Excessive vibration Low Increased wear Rigid design with high
strength.
Evaluate and
repair if
excessive.
Emergency shut
down
Moderate Loss of output
power
Power electronics will
unload the generators and
short all generator
windings to electrically halt
the TGUs
Determine cause;
restart when
prudent or repair
if necessary
Operational costs will include the ongoing annual maintenance described earlier, as well as
continual TidGen™ Project monitoring to ensure it is operating within expected parameters with
no operational issues. The bulk of this monitoring will be done automatically, but periodical
manual checks of these parameters will also be performed. It is expected that this ongoing
operation, combined with maintenance, will cost $62,095 annually per installed megawatt of
capacity. Since the TidGen™ Project will utilize the Railbelt Grid for power distribution, there are
no expected ongoing costs for back-up.
ORPC will share data collected on the energy produced, the associated operating costs, and the
project benefits and savings with the Alaska Energy Authorit y and the public through the life of
this project.
SECTION 7 – READINESS & COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER GRANTS
Discuss what you have done to prepare for this award and how quickly you intend to proceed
with work once your grant is approved.
Tell us what you may have already accomplished on the project to date and identify other grants
that may have been previously awarded for this project and the degree you have been able to
meet the requirements of previous grants.
Readiness for Proposed Grant
ORPC has been working on its Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project for nearly three years.
Concurrently, the Company has been developing its proprietary ocean current generation
technology at its test site in Eastport, Maine for use in the proposed TidGen™ Project. In the
second round of the Alaska Renewable Energy Fund, the AEA recommended ORPC for full
funding for the reconnaissance and feasibility phases of the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, but
due to state budget concerns, this funding was never awarded. Despite the lack of state funding,
ORPC successfully financed these two phases, and will have completed them by the time of this
proposed grant award. At that point, ORPC will finalize the design and permitting of the
TidGen™ Project.
When this grant award becomes available in the third quarter of 2010, ORPC is poised to use it
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immediately, to complete the final design of the TidGen™ Project in time to release components
for manufacture by the first quarter of 2011. ORPC will also begin staffing for the TidGen™
Project in advance of the 2011 deployment year. Currently, ORPC’s Director of Project
Development, Monty Worthington, works full time, and will hire additional employees in 2010.
ORPC has entered into strategic partnerships with contractors, landowners, municipalities,
utilities, and non-profit organizations that will streamline the implementation of the TidGen™
Project as it progresses.
The TidGen™ Project has been entirely privately funded to this point. ORPC was, however,
recently notified of a $600,000 DOE grant award to study interactions between the TidGen™
Project and beluga whales. Since this grant is still under negotiation, no work has been
completed under it yet. The Company has received other grant funding for its operations,
including a similar DOE grant to investigate and design OCGen™ Module mooring systems.
Other Grants/Awards
To date, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, ORPC Maine, LLC and ORPC Alaska,
LLC, have collectively raised approximately $14 million in private and public financing, including
roughly $4 million from state and federal governments. The table below lists these awards.
Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC
State and Federal Government Awards
Governmental Agency Purpose Date Awarded Amount
Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative
SEED Funding for OCGen™
TGU Demo Project July 2007 $240,000
Maine Technology Institute
DA1614 Development Award
for OCGen™ TGU Demo
Project June 2007 $300,000
Maine Technology Institute
DA1903 Development Award
for OCGen™ TGU Demo
Project January 2008 $211,200
Maine Technology Institute
Asset Commercialization Fund
Award for OCGen™ TGU
Commercialization Project December 2008 $150,000
Maine Technology Asset
Fund
MTAF 2030 for Beta OCGen™
TGU Project January 21, 2009 $806,138
U.S. Coast Guard
Demonstration of Use of Tidal
Energy for CG Station Eastport,
ME Pier August 2009 $100,000
U.S. Department Of Energy
OCGen™ Module Mooring
Project September 9, 2009(*) $750,000
U.S. Department Of Energy
Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga
Whale Interactions with the
Company’s Cook Inlet Tidal
Energy Project September 9, 2009(*) $600,000
Alaska Denali Commission RivGen™ Power System October 2, 2009(*) $830,325
(*) A final contract has not yet been executed. Total $3,987,663
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) Seed Loan and Maine Technology Institute
(MTI) Development Awards – In 2007, the Company received an MTC Seed Loan of up to
$300,000, a $300,000 MTI Development Award, and a $211,200 MTI Development Award to
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partially fund the OCGen™ Prototype Turbine Generator Unit Demonstration Project (“OCGen™
TGU Demo Project”). The Company completed the OCGen™ TGU Demo Project on April 30,
2008. The Seed Loan was subsequently paid off in June 2009 in conjunction with Venture A
funding. Since the Company was granted the second Development Award to fund a significant
portion of the deployment and testing phase of the OCGen™ TGU Demo Project, the original
Development Award budget was closed out in January 2008. The budget for the second
Development Award subsequently covered expenses from this point until the completion of
Phase III, on April 30, 2008. The Company completed the funded work by successfully meeting
the project objectives, including testing and proving the technical viability of the OCGen™ TGU
design in a tidal application.
Maine Technology Institute (MTI) Asset Commercialization Fund (ACF) Award – In December
2008, the Company received a $150,000 ACF award from MTI. This ACF award, combined with
matching funds provided by other investors in the Company, was used to supply bridge funding
to advance project site development, the commercialization of OCGen™ technology, and other
ongoing working capital requirements until the Company successfully arranged for Venture A
funding in June 2009. At the time of closing on the Venture A funding, the $150,000 Convertible
Preferred Funding was converted into Class D Membership interest in the founding company,
ORPC Holdings, LLC, which holds a fifty percent (50%) ownership in the Company.
MTI Maine Technology Asset Fund (MTAF) 2030 – In July 2009, ORPC received an MTI MTAF
award of $806,138 to fund the engineering, design, procurement, assembly, installation and
testing of the “Beta” Pre-Commercial OCGen™ TGU (“Beta OCGen™ TGU Project”). The Beta
OCGen™ TGU will be deployed for testing in late 2009.
United States Department of Energy (DOE) DE-FOA-0000069 (Marine and Hydrokinetic Site-
specific Environmental Studies/Information) – In September 2009, the DOE awarded the
Company $750,000 of the $1,034,535 requested to fund the OCGen™ Module Mooring Project.
A final contract with DOE has not yet been executed.
United States Department of Energy (DOE) DE-FOA-0000069 (Marine and Hydrokinetic Site-
specific Environmental Studies/Information) – In September 2009, the DOE awarded ORPC
Alaska, LLC $600,000 to fund the study of interactions between Cook Inlet beluga whales and
the Company’s Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project. A final contact with DOE has not yet been
executed.
United States Coast Guard (USCG) HSCG32-09-R-R00018 (Electrical Power from Tidal
Energy for CG Station Eastport, ME Pier) – In August 2009, the Company was awarded a
$100,000 contract to demonstrate that electricity generated by the Beta OCGen™ TGU can
supplement electrical power to the Coast Guard pier located in Eastport, Maine.
Alaska Denali Commission Emerging Energy Technology Grant – In October 2009, the
Company was awarded $830,325 to partially fund the RivGen™ Power System Project.
SECTION 8– LOCAL SUPORT
Discuss what local support or possible opposition there may be regarding your project. Include
letters of support from the community that would benefit from this project.
ORPC’s Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project has enjoyed enthusiastic support from diverse sectors
of the public, private industry, and government organizations. Public support for the project
continues to be pervasive, and private companies and public institutions have written some of
the included letters of support. Nearly every government agency that has worked on project
permitting has expressed enthusiasm for the project’s success. Alaskan organizations and
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people see the potential it has to help supply Alaska’s rural and Railbelt electrical needs. No
significant opposition to the project has been raised except in relation to the project’s
coexistence with endangered beluga whales. The National Marine Fisheries Service has made it
clear that the project must not compromise the local population of beluga whales, and ORPC is
working through the permitting process with them to ensure that adequate means to monitor the
whales’ welfare are in place. ORPC continues to consult with stakeholders, agencies, and the
public through regular project update mailings and meetings, to ensure that any concerns are
identified and addressed in a collaborative, proactive manner. In these ways, ORPC maintains
ongoing community involvement and public support of the project.
SECTION 9 – GRANT BUDGET
Tell us how much you want in grant funds Include any investments to date and funding sources,
how much is being requested in grant funds, and additional investments you will make as an
applicant.
Include an estimate of budget costs by milestones using the form – GrantBudget3.doc
The table in section 2.6 summarizes the TidGen™ Project funding plans between July 2010 and
December 2011 (the “AEA Funding Period”). ORPC has already invested significant resources
into developing and permitting the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, which encompasses the
TidGen™ Project. These efforts have been funded entirely by the Company, totaling $624,926
as of October 31, 2009, and have included work on obtaining and complying with FERC
permitting; site characterization work; environmental data collection; meetings with
communities, agencies, stakeholders, contractors, public officials and others involved or
affected by the project; and participation in organizations, conferences and industry meetings.
An additional $1,015,601 of Company funds and $207,584 of a grant from the U.S. Department
of Energy (“DOE”) discussed below will be spent on the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project prior to
the availability of AEA grant funding in July 2010. ORPC attributes the monies spent on project
development prior to July 2010 to the expanded 5 MW Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project, not to
the 1 MW TidGen™ Project.
The completion of the TidGen™ Project during the AEA Funding Period will require $6,501,066,
to be funded as follows: (1) $4,154,650 by the Company; (2) $392,416 by the DOE, which
recently committed $600,000 to help monitor beluga whale interactions with the Cook Inlet Tidal
Energy Project; and (3) $1,954,000 by the AEA, pursuant to this Renewable Energy Fund
Round III grant application. The Company’s and the DOE’s funding commitments will count as
cost share within the AEA Funding Period. ORPC’s funding request of $1,954,000 from the AEA
thus corresponds to 30% of the TidGen™ Project’s funding requirements during the AEA
Funding Period, with the Company providing 64% and the DOE providing the remaining 6%.
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SECTION 9 – ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION AND CERTIFICATION
SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS WITH YOUR APPLICATION:
A. Resumes of Applicant’s Project Manager, key staff, partners, consultants, and
suppliers per application form Section 3.1 and 3.4.
B. Cost Worksheet per application form Section 4.4.4.
C. Grant Budget Form per application form Section 9.
D. Letters demonstrating local support per application form Section 8.
E. An electronic version of the entire application on CD per RFA Section 1.6.
F. Governing Body Resolution or other formal action taken by the applicant’s
governing body or management per RFA Section 1.4 that:
- Commits the organization to provide the matching resources for project at the
match amounts indicated in the application.
- Authorizes the individual who signs the application has the authority to
commit the organization to the obligations under the grant.
- Provides as point of contact to represent the applicant for purposes of this
application.
- Certifies the applicant is in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local,
laws including existing credit and federal tax obligations.
F. CERTIFICATION
Print Name Christopher R. Sauer
Signature
Title President & CEO
Date 10-Nov-09
The undersigned certifies that this application for a renewable energy grant is truthful and
correct,and that the applicant is in compliance with,and will continue to comply with,all
federal and state laws including existing credit and federal tax obligations.