WAVES RIDE THE MONEY

With the Senate energy bill fight done, the real brawling will now begin, in the House. Here's hoping this funding for what NewEnergyNews calls "the sleeping giant of New Energy" stays in the legislation.

House Committee Clears Wave Power Bill
June 20, (UPI)

WHO
U.S. House Science and Technology Committee (Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore), Annette von Jouanne, Oregon State University professor of electronics and energy systems
the mechanism (click to enlarge)

WHAT
The Marine Renewable Energy Research and Development Act of 2007 (proposed): to research and develop wave power technology.

WHEN
Act’s R&D funding runs 4 years.

WHERE
Proposal in a US House of Representatives committee. Now must be considered by the full House as part of its energy bill.

WHY
- Act provides $50 million/year for wave enrgy R&D in grants by Department of Energy (DOE)
- Wave/current/tide energy is more available, in greater supply and is more predictable than wind or solar. This is called “higher density” energy.
on the surface

QUOTES
- Hooley: "America has the tools, expertise and ingenuity to harness the untapped energy found just off our shores…Similar to how we helped the wind energy industry get off the ground by providing production tax credits, Congress today made the first significant investment in what is projected to be a promising nonpolluting energy source."
- Von Jouanne: "Things are really picking up speed now…The public, political and agency leaders are understanding how electricity produced by waves could be a significant contributor to our energy portfolio."