U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced its $16 million investment for numerous projects that will help capture energy from waves, tides and currents in an efficient and sustainable manner. The agency says that wave and tidal energy are untapped resources for the U.S., and that they provide clean, renewable resources that can be used where changing tides, waves or currents move a significant volume of water.
DOE reports the projects will "increase the power production and reliability of wave and tidal devices and help gather valuable data on how deployed devices interact with the surrounding environment." The latest wave and tidal energy assessments from DOE report up to a potential of 1,400 terawatt hours of generation per year. Reportedly, one terawatt-hour of electricity is enough to power 85,000 homes.
Visit DOE's website for more information and for a list of the funded projects.