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The first-ever federal license to
proceed with a utility-scale tidal energy project in
this country has been issued in Oregon. After an
extensive permitting process,
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given
the thumbs up to Ocean Power Technologies.
Smaller such facilities are now
underway. But the commercial-scale one that is to be
built in Reedsport, Ore. covers a wide array of
issues such as the preservation of aquatic
resources, water quality and the maintenance of
marine life. In the end, regulators -- who are
trying to diversify the nation's energy mix with
green fuels -- concluded that wave energy is a
valued part of the plan and that it is more
predictable than wind or solar.
"This development will help pave
the way for the United States to retain a
technological advantage in wave power, an advantage
that has been ceded to other countries that produce
solar panels and wind turbines," says George Taylor,
executive chairman of Ocean Power. "Wave energy has
the potential to create manufacturing jobs in
America, while providing low-cost clean,
environmentally benign electricity to help replace
the use of fossil fuels."
The Electric Power Research Institute performed
feasibility studies in this area. The Palo Alto,
Calif.-based research arm of the electric utility
sector said that unlike hydropower, tidal energy
does not require the permanent impediment of water
flow and the subsequent harm to aquatic life.
Existing tidal plants, it adds, impound the water
before releasing it into generators. And newer tools
are even more progressive and use underwater
turbines that ultimately connect to cables to
transport the power.
The U.S. Department of Energy says
that wave energy could eventually supply 30,000
megawatts of electricity. Right now, a number of
prototypes are being tested not just in this country
but also overseas in the British Isles, Italy and
Portugal. Existing tidal power plants include a 240
megawatt facility in France, a 20 megawatt plant in
Nova Scotia and a 0.5 megawatt one in Russia.
As for the one in Oregon: Ocean
Power wants to install 10 buoys that can generate
150 kilowatts of electricity in the Pacific Ocean,
and then connect them to a transmission system that
would feed power to citizens of the state.
Development would be phased in over time so as to
protect "ocean resources and stakeholder interests."
Because the technologies to
achieve such a vision are relatively untested and
because the federal government wants to foster
sustainable energy forms, the company was able to
recently win a $1.5 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Energy. Two years earlier, it had
gotten a $2 million grant for the same Oregon
project.
"Because the systems do not
require dams, impoundments or other major civil
works, they cause minimal public and environmental
impact and have lower upfront capital costs, an
aspect that makes them especially suitable for use
in developing countries," says
Verdant Power, another company in the business
of wave energy.
Choppy Waters
As the world's largest solar
collectors, oceans in particular generate thermal
energy. Waves are unending and therefore have the
ability to produce power around the clock. Moreover,
seawater is 832 times as dense as air, providing a
six mile-per-hour ocean current with more kinetic
energy than a 217 mile per hour wind, say experts.
Verdant, for example, has a test
going in New York's East River using underwater
turbines. ConEdison will use the resulting
electricity for a local grocery store and
underground parking garage.
To bring the general idea into the
mainstream, however, scientists and engineers must
still show that their work can be done on a
large-scale basis. And rough waters lay ahead.
Environmentally, tidal power plants can impede sea
life migration and can affect local ecosystems. The
optimal solution, says the Energy Department, is to
carefully select sites that preserve scenic
shorelines.
Economically, there are also
barriers. Operating tidal plants is reasonable. But
building and maintaining them is expensive.
Therefore, the return on investment takes a long
time. It is furthermore problematic when it comes to
getting the power to shore. While more predictable
than current prevalent green sources, wave energy is
still not as dependable as fossil-fired or nuclear
generation.
But if the existing commercial and
pilot projects prove out, then it would encourage
other developers to get on board. With more
experience and with the mass production of the
essential technologies, prices would come down. At
the same time, newer technologies that are around
today are less problematic and don't block migratory
paths.
Indeed, many places around the
United States are conducive to energy derived from
the waves or tides. In fact, anywhere that has major
rivers or strong ocean currents is a candidate. That
includes areas in the Pacific Northwest, the
California coastline and Alaska. The Northeast and
other parts of the Atlantic shore are also
possibilities.
"This is an exciting time for our
state and I look forward to continuing to foster
this new industry in Oregon in a way that is
sensitive to marine habitat and continues to value
this important resource for Oregon's fishermen,"
says Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski.
Renewable energy will gain
increasing traction in both domestic and global
markets. And while wind and solar are the most
advanced forms, wave and tidal energy are beginning
to make waves. The key now is to prove that the
power source is viable by getting a few of those
facilities up and running.
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