About Us
Free Flow Power is a hydropower developer and technology company focused on using the force of rivers, streams, ocean currents, and tides to generate electricity without building new dams or diversion.
We operate through two subsidiaries:
Free Flow Power Technology LLC
FFPT has developed an integrated turbine generator system - the SmarTurbine Generator - with a rim-driven generator, one moving part, and forward and aft shrouds to laminate and accelerate flow. This technology includes microprocessors to provide remote monitoring of turbine performance and to vary the generator load in various flow velocities to optimize turbine performance. The technology is appropriate for many medium and low head applications as well as "zero" head or hydrokinetic applications.
Key design features of the Free Flow Power SmarTurbine Generator include:
Free Flow Power Development LLC
Free Flow Power Development LLC was formed from a predecessor company (Black Brook Environment), which has been developing hydropower projects since 1994. Its principals have development experience that dates back to 1981. FFPD is currently developing Hydrokinetic and Qualified Hydropower projects, primarily in the Mississippi River Basin. This area of the country has limited wind and solar energy resources, but the Mississippi River Basin drains 40% of North America.
FERC has granted FFP preliminary permits (FERC Permits) for over 100 hydrokinetic sites on the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri Rivers. We submitted our first major regulatory filing (the Pre-Application Document or PAD) for 55 Mississippi River hydrokinetic sites and January 15, 2009. We are also developing 18 Qualified Hydropower projects in this region, including new hydropower on existing locks and dams and repowering of abandoned dams.Hydrokinetic Generation
Hydrokinetic or free flow hydro generation is the extraction of energy from moving water without requiring the construction of new dams or diversions.
Free Flow Power in the News
- Green Jobs Growing at Twice National Average
By Associated Press
June 10, 2009
The fledgling renewable energy industry has grown steadily over much of the past decade, adding jobs at more than twice the national rate, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts study released Wednesday. Solar and wind-power companies, energy-efficient light bulb makers, environmental engineering firms and others expanded their work force by 9.1 percent from 1998 to 2007, the latest year available, according to Pew.
[read more] - Energy upstarts dive in to generate renewable power from Louisiana waterways
By Rebecca Mowbray, The Times-Picayune
May 10, 2009
Within the year, Louisiana should start seeing electricity generated from turbines submerged in the Mississippi River and other waterways. At least four companies have received preliminary permits to install turbines in the state as part of a nationwide pilot project overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to push the frontier of hydropower... FFP has provided a brief description of the Projects at the scoping meetings. This document is available here.
[read more]
Work with Us
Hydrokinetic Project Sites:
If you are interested in being part of our site development process and have information that may be useful to us, please download our questionnaire.