FAQ: Energy On The High Seas

From CNET News.com:

It sounds like a can't-miss proposition: harness the power of the ocean to generate clean, affordable, renewable electricity. Then there is the reality: staggering construction costs, unpredictable weather conditions, environmental dangers, uncertain outcomes and omnipresent skepticism. Still, several researchers and start-up companies say they have devised systems that will be capable of generating power with waves and tides, or other means related to the ocean. Here is rundown of some of the facts, figures and ideas behind sea power. Why the sea? Water is more than 800 times denser than air at sea level. Thus, even slow-moving waves or tides can generate far more electricity than wind turbines could even if the wind blew at 110 miles per hour. Facilities thus require less real estate. Ocean power also remains far more predictable than other alternative energy sources. Solar and wind power vary with the weather. Waves are essentially a form of solar power too and thus will also vary: the sun causes wind, and the wind generates waves. Waves, however, can be tracked from far offshore, allowing computer models to predict electrical output several days in advance. Tidal power is even more predictable because tides are created by the gravitational pull of the moon.

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