Most cities probably often end up wasting energy without even knowing it. Water flows downhill through large pipes under heavy pressure. Before it finally reaches your faucet, the pressure has to drop. In most cases, valves will simply release the excess pressure. However, Portland, Oregon, found a way to use it instead. According to a project case study published by Lucid Energy, the company that built the system, the Portland Water Bureau installed four 42-inch turbines in a drinking water pipe. By January 2015, they were producing electricity while water flowed to the homes all the time, just as it did before.
A pipe that was already working hard
