If you've spent much time at the beach lately, you might have noticed how many of us stare blankly at the constantly moving waters, occasionally drooling at the vastness of the ocean. Apparently, some people are able to get past this vexation and see a raw, untapped resource. That seems to be the case with San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric, the first US utility company to invest in the power generating potential of the oceans.
Teaming up with Vancouver-based hydro-power experts Finavera Renewables, PG&E will be building a "wave park" 2.5 miles off the coast of Eureka, CA. The park will consist of 8 buoys that harness the up and down motion of the water to operate a sort of piston pump system -- sending power via an underwater cable to a PG&E substation.
The immediate effect of the buoys would be rather small, producing 2 megawatts -- enough to power about 1500 homes. Obviously, this experiment isn't going to save the world, but it may generate a significant interest in generating energy from the motion of the ocean. PG&E didn't disclose how much this project would cost -- probably because it would make you sick.
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Teaming up with Vancouver-based hydro-power experts Finavera Renewables, PG&E will be building a "wave park" 2.5 miles off the coast of Eureka, CA. The park will consist of 8 buoys that harness the up and down motion of the water to operate a sort of piston pump system -- sending power via an underwater cable to a PG&E substation.
The immediate effect of the buoys would be rather small, producing 2 megawatts -- enough to power about 1500 homes. Obviously, this experiment isn't going to save the world, but it may generate a significant interest in generating energy from the motion of the ocean. PG&E didn't disclose how much this project would cost -- probably because it would make you sick.
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