Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Unit 8 Video Transcript
Tidal Turbines Transcript
Reporter: For decades, this enormous power plant has used coal and natural gas to
provide electricity to New York City. But now, under the waters of the
East River just yards away, a new technology is taking aim at the giant,
armed with metal wings.
M1: We sort of laughingly referred to it as our Kitty Hawk.
Reporter: Verdant Power is the first company to sell clean energy generated by
river tides.
M2: Here in the East River, we get up to about five knots of current on a really
good day. And so at peak current, these generators will, can produce
around 40 kilowatts of electricity with one of these turbines.1
Reporter: That's enough to power about 30 houses a year. These windmill-like
structures churn2 underwater with the river's current, pumping
electricity through cables that connect to an energy grid 3on shore. For
now, the turbines power the lights in this parking garage and this
supermarket on Roosevelt Island.
M3: I wish I could get it in my house. I pay so much money for gas and
electricity. That's a great idea.
Reporter: But great ideas take time to develop into working models. At first,
Verdant underestimated4 the river's power and the blades kept breaking
down. Now this third generation is retooled5 and more durable6.
M1: We will be filing for a commercial license with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission to put in 30 turbines. Now the field has a
potential for 300. There's where the MTA, the New York City MTA, has
already expressed interest in buying that power.
Reporter: By the end of the year, Verdant plans its biggest project yet. It’ll power
this entire subway stop, the lights, the escalators, using just turbine
power. They dream of the day they'll be able to power these trains using
clean technology, too, here in New York and around the globe.
1
turbines: machines or engines that receive their power from a wheel that is turned by the pressure of
water, air, or gas
2
churn: move (something) around violently
3
grid: system of electric wires for sending power over a large area
4
underestimate: guess an amount that is smaller than it is
5
retool: replace or change equipment to improve it
6
durable: strong, long-lasting
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Q2e Listening & Speaking 5: Unit 8 Video Transcript
Russell: A lot of the world is water. A lot of that water moves all of the time and
some of it moves very fast. It's also entirely predictable.
Reporter: Scottish minister of environment Michael Russell came to see New York's
progress with tidal turbines. Scotland uses a different method to capture
energy from waves. Its abundant coastline powers entire communities.
Russell: It's wonderful to see it in the center of one of the greatest cities in the
world.
Reporter: The technology is also catching on in smaller towns—from the coast of
Maine to Washington's Puget Sound—alternative energy companies are
competing to become serious hydropower players.
M1: Now we're off and running and, boy, we’re going to run hard.
©Oxford University Press. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
