Renewable Energy Magazine: This week the US Department of Energy (DOE) has released two nationwide resource assessments showing that waves and tidal currents off the nation's coasts could contribute significantly to the United States' total annual electricity production, further diversify the nation's energy portfolio, and provide clean, renewable energy to coastal cities and communities. “These new wave and
tidal resource assessments, combined with on-going analyses of the technologies and other resource assessments, show that water power, including conventional hydropower and wave, tidal, and other water power resources, can potentially provide 15% of our nation's electricity by 2030,” says the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Yesterday’s reports represent the most rigorous analysis undertaken to date to accurately define the magnitude and location of America's ocean energy resources. The information in these resource assessments can help to further develop the country's significant ocean energy resources, create new industries and new jobs in America, and secure US leadership in an emerging global market. The United States uses about 4,000 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year. DOE estimates that the maximum theoretical electric generation that could be produced from waves and tidal currents is approximately 1,420 TWh per year, approximately one-third of the nation's total annual electricity usage. Although not all of the resource potential identified in these assessments can realistically be developed, the results still represent major opportunities for new water power development in the United States, highlighting specific opportunities to expand on the 6% of the nation's electricity already generated from renewable hydropower resources. The two reports—"Mapping and Assessment of the United States Ocean Wave Energy ResourcePDF" and "Assessment of Energy Production Potential from Tidal Streams in the United StatesPDF"—calculate the maximum kinetic energy available from waves and tides off US coasts that could be used for future energy production, and which represent largely untapped opportunities for renewable energy development in the United States.- Click Here To Read Full Report At Renewable Energy Magazine
