[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-05-15-12-Tidal-Power.mp3|titles=EW 05-15-12 Tidal Power]
For years, when we talked about using renewable energy, our options were solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower. Each has its pluses and minuses, but each is a significant step away from burning fossil fuel.
Now there’s an intriguing new alternative: tidal power. Just as hydropower captures the energy of water moving through rivers, tidal power draws from the kinetic energy of the tides. Giant underwater turbines convert this energy to electricity that can be routed to the grid, where it will provide power to homes and industries.
The waters between eastern Maine and Nova Scotia are ideal for capturing tidal energy because of the robust tides there. In fact in the 1930s, engineers proposed a massive series of dams and turbines to capture this energy. The project failed when the U.S. Congress withdrew funding.
Now, commercial tidal energy production is returning to Maine. For the last couple of years, the Ocean Renewable Power Company has been testing an underwater turbine in Cobscook Bay. And this year, with federal approval, the company is installing the first commercial tidal power project there.
Tidal power is essentially hydropower, and hydropower has gotten a bad name in the U.S. because of the negative impact of dams on river ecosystems. The beta testing of the current project in Cobscook Bay shows minimal impact on marine life.
If these turbines can coexist with marine life and marine industries without causing problems, tidal power could become a key component of the U.S. renewable energy strategy.
Photo, taken on August 16, 2011 in Le Pouldu, Brittany, FR, using a Sony DSC-W310, courtesy of Ouistitis via Flickr.
Web Links:
Ocean Renewable Power Company
http://www.orpc.co/default.aspx
Traditional Skills Adapted for Tidal Project
http://quoddytides.com/tidal3-9-12.html