“Never underestimate the power of the ocean.”
Heidi Klum
This time of year, I have the beach on my mind, which made me wonder what has been happening with wave energy. A few years ago, I wrote an article about this cool technology coming down the road. Well, guess what? The first U.S. wave energy project is becoming a reality.
What is wave energy again?
Wave energy uses technology to capture power from crashing waves, then transmits it as clean, renewable energy. Not only are ocean waves powerful, but they’re also continuous. One of the downsides of solar and wind is their intermittency, creating the need for battery storage backup when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing. Waves never take a break, making them a consistent source of energy.
Transmission of energy is a hot topic these days; our electric grid is in dire need of some upgrades. Once energy is generated, it needs to be sent out to homes and businesses. Complicating matters, solar and wind farms are often in remote or rural areas. Another benefit of wave energy is that it’s created close to where it’s needed – more than 50% of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of a coastline.
The first U.S. wave energy project
There are other companies at work on various technologies, but this particular project is led by Eco Wave Power. They have partnered with AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, along with Shell Marine Renewable Energy. All the permits are in place, and the installation will be completed in just a few months.
Eco Wave Power has one project operating in Israel, along with several others in development, including in Portugal and Taiwan. If all goes well in LA, similar wave conversion systems will be installed in other U.S. locations. These systems connect to existing man-made structures, like piers and jetties, making them relatively simple to scale.
Wave energy potential
The potential is staggering. The US Department of Natural Resources predicts wave energy could eventually create enough power for 130 million homes. Further, the World Energy Council estimates that wave energy is capable of producing more electricity than we now make through all sources combined.
Given the changes we are already seeing with our climate, it’s clear we need to move quickly with the low-carbon energy solutions that are scalable today – like solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear. But there is still plenty of room for emerging technologies like this.
Good things are happening, people! While sometimes it seems we are moving backward, innovation and ingenuity keep pushing us ahead. Wave energy is one of the more exciting, and to me, commonsense, new solutions out there. Just one more thing to love about the ocean!
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.