NEW WAVE OF OCEAN ENERGY RISING

Will Tidal and Wave Energy Ever Live Up to Their Potential?

Sophia V. Schweitzer, October 15, 2015 (Yale Environment 360)

“As solar and wind power grow, another renewable energy source with vast potential — the power of tides and waves — continues to lag far behind. But progress is now being made as governments and the private sector step up efforts to bring marine energy into the mainstream…Ocean waves and tidal movements hold vast amounts of energy. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that more than one third of all electricity used in the United States could be drawn from the seas. Still, worldwide, ocean power is forecast to produce only 1 gigawatt of electricity by 2020, a mere fraction of the 370 gigawatts generated by wind at the end of 2014. The $400 million in investments in the marine energy sector were dwarfed last year by the $150 billion in investments in solar power. And important questions remain about the environmental impacts of marine energy technologies…Despite its halting start, the marine energy industry has increasingly strong advocates around the world. Currently, about 30 tidal and 45 wave energy companies are at an advanced stage of technological development…” click here for more

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