Proponents of tidal power move forward off eastern Maine coast

Far from discouraged, Ocean Renewable Power Co. are now preparing to deploy larger turbines capable of producing up to 5 megawatts. Or, enough electricity to power 5,000 houses.

Eventually, the company envisions producing enough electricity to power 22,000 homes by harnessing the power of Passamaquoddy Bay, where twice each day the tide rises and falls upward of 20 feet (6.1 meters), the greatest tide change in the continental United States.

“This is our beachhead opportunity to enter the market,” project manager John Ferland said.

Even before energy prices surged, a study conducted by the electric utility industry concluded that tidal power could be produced at a cost competitive with wind power and power plants fired by natural gas.

Companies raced to file permits with the Federal Energy Regulation Commission, but Ocean Renewable Power has moved a step forward by using its turbine generating unit to produce power. It is one of dozens of developers positioning for a lead role in tidal power technology.

“Basically, the technology is here. It’s just a matter of engineering it for the lowest cost, the highest reliability and the longest survivability in a hostile and corrosive environment,” said Roger Bedard, who led the study for the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California.

The experiment taking place in the 120-foot-deep (37-meter-deep) Western Passage represents the latest advance in an emerging technology that seems to be moving forward in baby steps but could one day help meet the growing worldwide demand for electricity.

Ocean Renewable Power was the only developer with turbines in U.S. waters that generated electricity this year, Bedard said. He said tests are also being run elsewhere, including the British Isles, Canada and Italy.

As the nation seeks to wean itself from foreign oil and curb global warming, alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal are becoming more attractive.

Tides hold a number of advantages. Winds can turn calm and clouds can obscure the sun, but the immutable tides turn twice a day no matter what, providing a steady and predictable source of power. Because of water’s greater density, the technology requires fewer turbines to produce the same amount of electricity as wind. And underwater turbines are unlikely to draw complaints about spoiled views or disrupted tranquility from coastal residents.

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