Wave Energy Generation Finally Getting Some Much Needed Praise

By Lance Winslow

image: depositphotos

As the coordinator for a think tank, I've always fancied the idea of ocean wave energy, much more than wind and solar. Wind for instance is 750 times less dense than air, and solar is already 50% inefficient before you start your high-end MIT mathematics calculations to determine its capture - the Sun does not shine at night - that's 50% of the time remember.

There was an interesting announcement on the Department of Energy DOE website on January 28, 2012 titled; "DOE Reports Show Major Potential for Wave and Tidal Energy Production Near U.S. Coasts, and in the press release it stated:
"The DOE released 2 US resource assessments showing that waves and tidal currents off the nation's coasts could contribute significantly to the 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 ongoing 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."

Okay so, if you are like me you are saying "no kidding" and wondering what on Earth took so long? Well, I'll tell you what;
Bureaucracy
Politics
Lobbyists
Slow Motion Archaic Thinking

Well, when it comes to subsidies, loan guarantees, and free-enterprise the government is not exactly batting a 1000, but much to the chagrin of the environmentalists who normally keep their mouths shut when it comes to wind turbine power - those turbine blades are batting a 1000, 1000s of birds and bats out of the sky. Further, wind cannot compete with ocean wave energy to begin with, as the waves never stop, but the wind often does. Ocean wave energy is reliable and steady.

Okay so, although I am hardly into conspiracy theories, I leave that up to the late-night talk show hosts - and yet, I wonder why on Earth we are pursuing with vengeance wind and solar and not even giving a second glance at ocean wave energy - after all, more than 50% of our population lives within 20-miles of the ocean, seems like a natural to me. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, it's a great way to surf into our alternative energy future, along with clean-coal technologies, and natural gas - which can provide us an abundance of electricity for decades to come. Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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