Eastport is a coastal town in Maine with some of the greatest tidal variants in the country. The tides in Eastport rise and fall about 20 feet mostly twice-a-day; the current can be powerful enough to turn a turbine. With this being said, many residents hope that the tides can bring about a new way to formulate energy. Tidal- wave power is fairly new but there are a few projects in Eastport. The Ocean Renewable Power Company (OrpC) tested the first prototype this past August, launching a $2.5m tidal grid-compatible power system; this system is the first in the country. This prototype can generate enough power to run the control room and batteries for a coastguard vessel. With a federal commercial permit, OrpC plans to launch a $7million prototype in 2011 which should be able to power 50-75 homes.
Although this seems like a promising product, many are concerned with trying to apply this to the entire country. Majority of the tidal energy capacity comes from Alaska which is far from heavily populated areas. It is estimated that tidal power could generate 13 gigawatts nationwide at maximum capacity, which isn’t enough compared with the 35 gigawatts of wind generation that already exists. This is a minor set back though; a recent study shows that Maine could generate 250 megawatts from the tide, 100 of the megawatts from the Eastport area. Residents of Eastport are still skeptical about the success of tidal power. If it proves to be successful, then Eastport’s economy will thrive. Until then, many are still unclear.
Kelsey Tomlinson
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesbysubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=8780295&story_id=17204926
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