Murray, Itzkowitz, Ph.D
“It is impossible to deny the fact that there is a significant need for clean renewable energy”
I have personally known the founders of Crowd Energy (Todd and Phillip Janca) since the late 1970s.
There can be no doubt about their dedication to developing clean renewable energy technology.
They have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to employ state-of-the-art technology in order to achieve design goals.
As a Marine scientist I have worked with these individuals at several Caribbean study sites and have witnessed their ingenuity and motivation.
Additionally, I have received grants to utilize their deep diving manned submersibles for scientific studies. Their piloting skills focus on safety, and ability to reconfigure scientific equipment in order to achieve specific goals is well known.
As soon as the Crowd Energy project transitions from the shore based laminar flow test tank to the marine environment I will be personally involved in assessing any risks associated with possible effects on marine life that might be created by the ocean energy turbine.
It should be remembered that the turbine rotates at extremely slow speeds (between 2 and 20 rpm) and that the neutrally buoyant carbon fiber blades open and close at an equally slow rate.
I have advised the founders of the necessary steps to take in order to collect baseline information on the first oceanic deployment site so that we can monitor any potential impact on marine creatures once my study is underway.
In closing, I would like to state that I am convinced that the Crowd Energy sub-sea power generation system will offer a significant benefit to mankind.
Murray, Itzkowitz, Ph.D
Professor and Chair
Department of Biological Sciences
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pa
