2/7/2024 0 Comments Tidal energy generationRegulatory Approvals The permitting process can be lengthy (lasting up to five years) and complex, requiring up to 25 federal, state, and local approvals.Expertise is still emerging on how best to connect to the grid and marry technical expertise with commercial acumen. A wide variety of designs are being pursued, and wave energy devices have yet to close in on a single best approach for long-term operation in harsh marine conditions. Scientists understand the oceanography but still need to map and classify areas with suitable waves and tides. Technology Although technical issues are challenging, they are not insurmountable.Unlike all other renewable energy sources, wave and tidal energy projects are not eligible for renewable production tax credits. Funding for research on wave and tidal power programs has been negligible until recently. government support and subsidies are consistently cited as some of the largest obstacles to commercial viability. Costs are expected to significantly decrease as developers take advantage of learning through production and economies of scale. Initial infrastructure costs for wave and tidal systems are also high. Ocean Power Technologies' Power Buoy Cost The projected energy costs are currently about twice as high as wind electrical generation and significantly higher than the national average electrical generation cost. Of this 10 percent, potential wave capacity is projected at 6.5 percent and potential tidal capacity at 3.5 percent of total U.S. demand for power 1 -an output comparable to that of other renewable energy systems but far less than that of conventional energy systems. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) estimates that wave and tidal energy have the potential to supply 10 percent, or 400 TWh/yr, of the U.S. Incentives to invest in and develop the technology for commercial use are improving but are still much lower than for other types of renewable energy projects. currently has no commercial generating capacity.Įngineers are using many new approaches to explore tidal and wave energy technologies, but most projects remain in the pilot and feasibility study stage as developers figure out how to make their systems survive in harsh marine environments.īarriers to development include a lack of governmental support and subsidies, high regulatory hurdles, and prohibitive costs. Development is proceeding vigorously, but the U.S. Although it is the least developed of all renewable energy sources, the ocean has the potential to provide 10 percent of the nation's energy supply. The electricity is transmitted to on-shore grids by underwater cables.Įxcitement and promise are the two words that best describe the status of power generation in the U.S. Engineers are developing a wide variety of power generating systems, using floating or submerged devices that create an electrical signal with pumps, floating buoys, or absorbers. Wave power projects take advantage of one of the most visible forms of energy-the rise and fall of water. today do not rely on dams but instead operate on a concept very similar to wind power generation: tidal currents in waterways turn the blades of submerged turbines to generate electricity. ![]() Tidal power projects under development in the U.S. ![]() ![]() ![]() Today's hydroelectric projects look quite different, although the concept is the same: convert water's kinetic energy into mechanical energy to drive a turbine or a pump. Mention hydroelectricity, and the image that comes to mind is a large dam.
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