In the quest for the expansion of
the stakes of renewable energy and the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels,
the first ever wave-driven electricity is soon to come on stream in the United
States off the Coast of Hawaii. The technology in use will rely on the ocean currents
particularly tidal waves to generate electricity which will be wheeled out
through a sub-sea cable for about a mile to a military base and fed into Oahu’s
power grid according to Cathy Bussewitz.
It is estimated that energy from
this source when fully developed and harnessed is capable of meeting about a
quarter of the energy needs of the United States. The Navy is also said to be
interested in this technology as a source of re-fuelling their fleet off-shore
and the provision of electricity to coastal communities. There is however
concerns about altering the aesthetics of the ocean view with clusters of
electricity machines projecting out of the ocean all for the sake of
electricity generation.
The test project near Kaneohe Bay
consists of two buoys anchored half a mile off the coast. One of the buoys, a
50-foot wide, doughnut-shaped device called the Lifesaver was developed by a
Norwegian company. The 3-foot-tall ring is anchored to the ocean floor with
cables; when the buoy is moved by the sea, the cables move, turning the wheels
of a generator according to Steven Kopf. The technology however still lags well
behind wind and solar power.
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