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Maine-based Ocean Renewable Power Company isn’t the first to view water as the most viable way to generate electricity; however, it is one of the few companies working to use tidal power without dams or damage to the environment. As a report in The Economist stated, “One problem with renewable energy is that neither the wind nor the sun is reliable. That cannot, however, be said of the tides. The Newtonian clockwork of sun and Moon can always be relied on” (economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/05/tidal-power). Consequently, this electric company views tidal power as a major source of renewable energy—but they insist on tapping it in the most environmentally friendly ways. From Wave to Grid In 2012 Ocean Renewable deployed its commercially viable TidGen generator in the Gulf of Maine and in doing so “became the first plant to deliver offshore-generated power of any kind (wind, wave or tidal) to an American electricity grid,” according to The Economist report. Instead of using dams to produce traditional hydropower, energy companies like Ocean Renewable are garner electricity from tides without building dams or harming the environment. In essence, Ocean Renewable is depending on kinetic energy produced by the movement of the waves to power its turbines. Similar to wind power, wave power is simply more reliable; although, harnessing this energy has historically not been easy or particularly cost effective. Ocean Renewable, however, is working to change that. Ocean Renewable’s Turbine Generator Units In order to “generate clean, renewable electricity by harnessing the energy of the world’s rivers and ocean,” dams cannot be part of the equation asserts Ocean Renewable on its website (orpc.co/default.aspx). Ocean Renewable asserts, “We are one of the few companies in the world to have generated electricity from tidal currents without using dams, which can upset the balance of marine environments, and we monitor our equipment carefully to ensure there are no adverse effects on sea life.” Their power systems are proprietary power systems and they boast various power systems designed for small river sites, deep river sites, and the sea. The turbines are matched to depths and can produce energy both effectively and efficiently. Ocean Renewable’s Milestone In April of this year, Ocean Renewable was able to report that in “its first annual environmental monitoring report to federal regulators,” according to Maine Biz, its tidal energy pilot project “demonstrates no adverse impact on the marine environment of Cobscook Bay” (mainebiz.biz/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130410/NEWS0101/130419999). This project is “the nation's first grid-connected tidal power generation project.” Its success will have worldwide influence. Currently Ocean Renewable has one turbine in Cobscook Bay, but they have plans to install “24 turbines in the Western Passage of the Bay of Fundy, as well as tidal and river power projects in Alaska,” according to this report. Where Can Tidal Power Be Produced? Historically energy experts have lamented the difficulty of siting turbines for harnessing tidal power. On their website, Ocean Renewable states that “Their electricity is deliverable to community or centralized power grids. Interested customers include: Grid-connected public and municipal electric utilities that are reasonably close to tidal or ocean current resources. Remote coastal, island and interior communities that are not grid-connected. Independent developers of river, tidal and ocean current energy projects. Military facilities near river, tidal or ocean current resources.” (orpc.co/faqs.aspx). Ocean Renewable Projects Successively delivering electricity to the grid from its Cobscook Bay Turbine has other areas clamoring for a chance to try a similar plan. As a tidal energy electric company, Ocean Renewable is a leading innovator and is slated to be involved in projects in other parts of the country. Current projects for Ocean Renewable include sites at Alaska’s Cook Inlet, the Bay of Fundy off the coast of Nova Scotia, Florida’s Gulf Stream. These sites have vast potential for producing significant and reliable electricity through the company’s power systems. All projects combined are estimated to produce 300 megawatts of “clean, predictable electricity.” Is There Any Impact on Marine Life with Ocean Renewable’s Turbines? According to Ocean Renewable, “To date, our Turbine Generator Unit testing has caused no negative effects on either fish or sea mammals, which tend to simply avoid the unit the way they would a rock or other natural barrier, by swimming around it.” Additionally, the company maintains that its systems are located at such depths as to prevent them from hampering shipping or boating. Because they are completely submerged beneath the water’s surface, the turbines do not detract from the surface appearance of the landscape. Located beneath the water, they simply do their job harnessing energy from the water to deliver to area grids. How Does the Electricity Reach the Grid? Once the turbines generate electricity, the energy is sent via one cable to a substation located on shore. From there, energy can be delivered to residents and businesses. Ocean Renewable works with the Maine-based Bangor Hydro Electric Company to deliver this power. The company is working with other companies in various locations and working to forge future partnerships with still more industry businesses in regions where tidal power could become a pleasant reality. Customers of Ocean Renewable will not only have clean electricity, but energy at an affordable price. The Future of Environmentally Friendly Tidal Power Ocean Reliable is making waves, of course, in the U.S. with its pilot project and its successful delivery of electricity to the grid, but other companies around the globe are also looking to the tides to produce their clean energy too. According to The Economist’s report, “Andritz Hydro Hammerfest, in Norway, and Marine Current Turbines from Bristol, in Britain, take the relatively simple approach of sticking what are little more than strengthened wind turbines onto the seabed.” As more and more companies adopt the Ocean Reliable method or those similarly employed by the UK and Norwegian companies, there are going to be plenty more projects that will prove the tide has truly turned in favor of clean electricity derived from rivers and the sea. When Sam Jones the author of this article is looking for a gas and electric comparison website he finds uSwitch.com to be the most informative.
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