After generations of burning carbon-based resources, the world is looking to many alternative technologies and additional existing resources to alter that course. It is understood that the energy future will not be a case of "all our eggs in one basket", but a broad array of renewable fuels bolstered by massive conservation efforts to provide our energy.
NEHC's fuel is renewable rain and snow—historically predictable and quantifiable year over year. In looking at the landscape, we saw that thousands of small dams manage and store water as fuel. They have helped to power New England and other rainy states across America for generations, providing power for industry, containment for reservoirs, safety for towns and support for transportation and irrigation systems. Over 50% of dams in New England are situated next to mills, many still productive.
To take advantage of this for modern renewable power, we needed a "machine", and it had to be fish friendly and environmentally sensitive. In the Archimedes hydro-screw, we found a solution. Based on a 2,000-year old idea, modern hydro-screws have pumped water up for a century keeping lowlands dry. For the past ten years, since adding generation equipment to them and allowing water to run down through them in "reverse" in river settings, they have made clean, renewable power in the UK and Europe where they are often considered the small-scale hydropower standard.
NEHC is bringing Archimedes screw generators to North America with a partnership of engineers and manufacturers who have an established and distinguished track record.
"We founded this company to restore useful work to the dam sites and waterways that built New England and the nation. We have found in our process that the nation’s builders had a remarkable understanding of the value of the resource. They knew precisely how to use it in their time. We have found a way to use the foundation they built, and in a clean, non-invasive way, renew its value."
"Opening a conversation about generating power on an old dam on a cherished river is always complicated—even when it is small-scale, renewable and clean. There is a great interest in what we are doing, and a wide variety of constituents. Because every project becomes part of a community, NEHC works transparently to form working relationships in those communities. We will always be willing and open to have a dialogue, especially when there is an issue to solve."
"We harvest rain and snow. That is, we use the natural flow of waterways, engineering each site individually to minimize our impact, and derive clean, renewable energy. Our sites are small-scale, manageable. With many of them in place, we can provide a significant source of green power.."
"Permitting is the name for the rigorous process we manage carefully to build projects. Is it not exclusively about the rules and regulations. It is about outcome. It is about understanding the specific natural resource and societal issues for each site, and exploring the best way to approach and respond to them. Local knowledge is often the key to success."
