FA SEA CHANGE
HARNESSING THE FORMIDABLE FORCE OF TIDAL ENERGY
BY JENNIFER H. MCINERNEY
flow of the ocean to generate hydropower. Tidal turbines capture this energy stream, which is more powerful and more predictable than wind. Tough still in its infancy, tidal turbine technology has the potential to transform the renewable energy landscape in coastal areas. But because the specifications for tidal turbines are complex, progress has been slow: only a handful of tidal power stations and plants exist worldwide. However, several projects are planned over the next five years in South Korea, Scotland, New York City, and the United Kingdom. Just this past August, the U.S. welcomed its first
J 20 MAY-JUNE 2013
commercial tidal energy turbine, the TidGen, at Cobscook Bay, in Eastport, Maine. According to Kennedy’s speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, “A rising tide lifts all boats” actually derives from a “thoughtful slogan” developed by the New England Council. So it seems fitting that the nation’s first tidal turbine has been installed in this corner of New England, where the rising tides are among the highest on earth, thanks to its proximity to Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy.
ohn F. Kennedy famously remarked, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” And while the late President’s comments referred to economic improvements of the day, the same sentiment could easily be applied to one of today’s environmental innovations: tidal energy.
As its name suggests, tidal energy relies on the ebb and POWER SHIFT IN PROGRESS
In picturesque Cobscook Bay, located at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, Atlantic Puffins bob along the shallow 40-square-mile estuary while American bald eagles soar overhead, poised to partake of the abundant and diverse fish species swimming below. During the twice-daily tidal cycle, water rages in and out of the area at a force of 8,000 locomotives, reaching a peak tidal range of 50 feet, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Following a nationwide tidal energy resource assessment, the department identified the East Coast as demonstrating “significant opportunities” for tapping ocean energy. Hydropower, also called hydroelectric power, has been deemed “the largest source of renewable electricity in the United States,” by the DOE. And, because tidal energy does not burn any fossil fuels or pollute the air, it’s considered a clean source of power. In recent years, U.S. power consumption has reached 4,000 terawatt hours (TWh) annually; however, the assessment found that the implementation of hydropower
OR POWER PRODUCTION
WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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