In a move that screams “perpetual energy” – and not in a good way – Portland's Lucid Energy Inc. has proposed a new form of turbine to be placed within the city's water system to provide energy to sell back to the grid. It's easy to wonder how much energy they expect to harvest, since they must use energy to pump the water, but the proposal is quite serious and has precedent in Riverside California. If Successful, the program will provide a welcome boost to the city's energy supply for minimal costs.

The city of Portland is looking at a new system that will generate hydropower without environmental impacts to fish and stream flows. Portland-based Lucid Energy Inc. designs turbines that generate electricity from water flowing through city pipes.

Lucid has proposed to install a unique set of hydroelectric turbines inside the city drinking water line at SE 147th and Powell.

The in-pipe turbines will be capable of producing 1,100 megawatt hours of electricity a year – enough to power up to 150 homes.

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