....November 11, 6:02 AM
	Turbines Tested In East River By THERESA JUVA Avoiding widespread blackouts like the ones that swept through Queens last summer knocking out power for a week to northwest residents, may soon be possible with the help of ocean tides. This month Verdant Power, an alternative energy company with roots in Virginia, and a research center at Cooper Union plans to install several ocean turbines in the East River in hopes that the movement of the tides could be turned into electricity to power homes. The pilot program will first study the effects of the turbines on ocean life before a more solid plan is considered. A garage and supermarket on nearby Roosevelt Island will enjoy the power produced by the underwater windmills. Assemblyman Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) is on the state environmental conservation committee and said limiting dependence on fossil fuel resources is a step in the right direction. With Western Queens home to a majority of the City’s power plants, Gianaris said the borough “does more than our fair share” and would benefit from the reduced burden of providing more than 60 percent of the City’s power. He said residents have directly suffered. “In this part of Queens, we have high rates of asthma and emphysema because of the thousands and thousands of tons of emissions from power plants,” he said. But Gianaris isn’t waiting for the future of ocean turbines to combat air pollution. He is involved in getting a law renewed that encourages the replacement of old power plants with newer ones that emit less. He said most toxic emissions come from the burning of fuels in power plants and automobiles. The most current plants approved by the state have reduced emissions, and Gianaris said he wants that trend to continue.