Ocean Energy Has Vast Potential but Many Waves to Skirt
It’s an unstoppable wave. That’s what proponents
are saying about marine and hydro-kinetic energy,
which uses water to generate electricity. To that
end, the U.S. Department of Energy just said it
would invest
$16 million in 17 different projects that
capture energy from waves and tides.
Philosophically, advocates of the green energy form
say that it is another arrow in the quiver of the
nation’s energy portfolio. As such, it increases
reliability while also being environmentally
friendly. But detractors say that the energy form is
unproven and expensive, and that governments should
not fund such risks.
“It is three-to-five years before we are
commercial,” says Sean O’Neill, president of the
Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition. “For every
dollar we spend as a government, there are dollars
that will come from the private sector.”
O’Neill explained in a phone interview that economic
development hinges on access to electricity and
potable water, as well as sanitation. As far as the
oceans go, he says that humankind has not been good
environmental stewards.
That has made it difficult to get wave buoys or
tidal turbines into the water, he says, adding that
it can take 5-to-10 years to get all permits.
Altogether, between 17 and 25 different permits are
necessary from federal and state regulators alike.
The monitors, meanwhile, are good civil servants who
are obliged to uphold laws while they also try to be
facilitators. Nevertheless, O’Neill complains that
the patchwork of governance is complex and that it
creates unnecessary delays.
The Energy Department says that wave and tidal
energy have the potential to provide
15 percent of the electricity produced in this
country by 2030. The ocean coalition says that
the power sources could provide
15,000 megawatts of installed capacity by 2030.
Some players: ABB is developing a generator that is
half the size of a traditional one while Ocean
Energy USA is building a hull design for a floating
wave device. Meantime, Dehlsen Associates is
crafting software to predict future wave conditions
so as to maximize power output.
“Wave and tidal energy represent a large, untapped
resource for the United States and responsible
development of this clean, renewable energy sources
is an important part of our (energy) strategy,” says
Energy Department Undersecretary David Danielson, in
a release.
Economic Barriers
To be clear, wave energy is when generators are
placed on the ocean’s surface and energy levels are
determined by the strength of the wave. Tidal energy
converts energy from tides, or the continuous flow
of water.
One such “wave” project has begun off the shores of
Oregon by Ocean Power Technologies, where
underwater turbines using 10 buoys will generate 1.5
megawatts of power. Impediments to further growth
are wide ranging and cover such issues as the
preservation of aquatic resources, water quality and
the maintenance of marine life.
Meantime, Ocean Renewable Power Co. has a tidal
project at
Cobscook Bay in Maine. It is working with Bangor
Hydro-Electric to deliver power and will eventually
produce 5,000 kilowatts, Ocean Renewable says.
Critics are calling that Maine project a
“boondoggle,” noting that the government has
invested $10 million -- part of the $87 million it
has allocated to marine and hydro-kinetic energy
projects since fiscal 2008. The
Heritage Foundation says that the initial price
of the project comes to 21.5 cents per kilowatt
hour, which is substantially higher than what
Maine’s citizens now pay.
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, barriers also exist. Operational costs
are reasonable. But building and maintaining those
plants is expensive. Therefore, the return on
investment takes a while. It is furthermore
problematic when it comes to getting the power to
shore. While generally predictable, ocean energy is
still not as dependable as fossil-fired or nuclear
generation.
“There is such a thing as being penny wise and pound
foolish,” says the ocean coalition’s O’Neill. “It is
appropriate for government to invest in those areas
where everyone will benefit. In this case, the
electricity emissions-free and adds both diversity
and reliability.”
Ocean technologies are part of the larger debate
over government’s role in helping to develop and
commercialize promising technologies. The Energy
Department is calculating that those concepts are a
good bet and it is providing some funding to nudge
them forward.
Twitter: @Ken_Silverstein
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