The Seine, the scenic river running through Paris, has inspired
artists, attracted tourists and served as the soul of the city,
and now it will also be a source of renewable energy. Paris
officials have announced a plan to place river turbines beneath
four bridges on the Seine. The Pont du Garigliano, Pont de la
Tournelle, Pont Marie and Pont au Change will each have two
turbines installed underwater at their base. These bridges were
chosen because the speed of the current accelerates in those
locations. While river currents don't produce the kind of
electricity that wave power can, the current-harvesting
technology has come a long way and more devices are being
introduced that can generate energy from even the slowest moving
waters. City officials have put a call out to power companies to
come up with the best plan for installing the turbines, with a
winner being chosen in January and installations starting next
spring. via The Guardian written by Quiet-Environmentalist, June
29, 2010 written by David Brocke