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. By Doug Peeples
SGN News Editor
Governments and private industry have been casting a wide net to find alternative sources of sustainable power to meet accelerating demand and reduce greenhouse
But what are the chances that marine and hydrokinetic technologies (let's just call it ocean power to keep it short and sweet) are really going to take their place alongside more mature and relatively well-funded renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to feed the need for more greener power?
We can't answer that question to a certainty, but we can round up a lot of the big issues: What's good about it, what's bad and what needs to happen to make ocean power a reality?
The Good
· Oceans cover about 70% of the planet, and waves and tides offer a more predictable, reliable source of energy than wind and solar. And energy storage isn't an issue. The oceans are always on.
· A British company built a large-scale tidal turbine in 2008 that's since been getting good reviews, and several countries have jumped onto the ocean power bandwagon. Globally, according to Pike Research, there are more than 300 ocean power projects "in the works." A New Jersey company has big plans for a pilot buoy project off the Oregon coast and much bigger plans for a commercial-scale wave project there.
· A January report from Pike said ocean power could generate 200 GW of electricity by 2025. A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan pegs global resources at more like 2,000 to 4,000 TWh annually. The Frost & Sullivan analysis also anticipates the commercialization of ocean power within the next 5-10 years as technology improves and production costs drop.
· In the U.S., attitudes of the federal government and private industry are taking a positive tack, too. The DOE and the Interior Department in June signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on commercial-scale development of offshore renewable energy projects, including wave power. The DOE has poured millions of dollars into hydrokinetic R&D and has put the technological and strategic muscle of its national laboratories behind it.
The Bad
· Ocean power is still in the proof-of-concept phase, and initial deployments require unimaginably massive investments. Will investors bet on technologies with no significant track record and sky high upfront costs?
· While wave power is more reliable than wind and solar, the actual power in waves fluctuates a lot, as does the state of the oceans in general. Durability is a big issue. Pelamis Wave Power, which operated a highly regarded commercial-scale wave farm in Portugal, shut down its operations last year because of persistent technical problems and dwindling financing.
· How will regulations to protect aquatic ecosystems and fisheries evolve? The permitting and siting process for land-based renewable energy projects is complicated enough. The marine environment is more complex, so it seems reasonable that permitting and siting for ocean projects will be even more complicated.
· Standardizing technologies, connecting wave power to the electric grid and transmission also present obstacles.
That Said, What's It All Mean?
Who wouldn’t want to see a new, reliable, secure and green energy source? But even the most optimistic reports and analyses come with heavy disclaimers, most of them pointing at exceptionally high upfront costs and technological nightmares similar to those facing the new deepwater wind farm sector. While the future of ocean power looks a little brighter, it still looks like a long slog to the light at the end of the tunnel.
What do YOU think? Will be generating significant amounts of electricity from ocean waves anytime soon ... if ever? Use the TalkBack comment form below to weigh in.
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