Renewable Green Power Energy in the Pacific Northwest

According to Renewable Northwest Project (2007), “Special buoys, turbines, and other technologies can capture the power of waves and tides and convert it into clean, pollution-free electricity.”

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            Tacoma Power has obtained a governmental Permit for a tidal power project at Tacoma Narrows, one of the top locations in tidal power in the nation. Snohomish County Public Utility District has been granted initial permits for multiple tidal power sites in the Puget Sound Region (Renewable Northwest Project 2007).

            Research indicates that initial cost are more expensive than traditional generating resources, but over time with more funding, experience, and public support, consumers should see a dramatic decrease in price. In 2007 at the time of this research, the cost for wave energy is between 10-30 cents/kWh while Tidal Energy is approximately 8-12 cents/kWh. Future costs could plummet for wave energy to 5-6 cents/kWh, while Tidal Energy is predicted to drop to 4-6 cents/kWh. It has been confirmed that Tidal Energy is more predictable than Wave energy. Tidal energy can be predicted years to centuries in advance (Renewable Northwest Project 2007).

            Wave and tidal energy facilities (underwater turbine technology) are relatively new, therefore scientists are not sure of the environmental impacts. Obvious concerns are fisheries and other marine life. Prevention to an environmental upset includes the use of equipment such as sonar at an estimated cost of 1-2 million dollars. Selected sites are carefully planned out to minimize the upset of marine habitat (Renewable Northwest Project 2007). 

            One of the major concerns to underwater turbine technology is the technological push for this power has been rushed. Researchers such as Brian Polagye, a University of Washington expert in tidal energy have stated “One permit was filed for Deception Pass that proposed putting in 200-foot-diameter turbines in water that is only about 50 feet deep” (Paulson 2007). Apparently, preliminary research was not established before proposal plans were submitted. The rush for this technology came on the heels of Initiative 937. Paulson (2007) claims that Initiative 937 requires Washington Utility Corporations to produce 15 percent or more of electricity from sources, “such as wind, the sun, biomass, and the Earth’s subterranean heat, waves and tides.”

            Not everyone is enthused about this technology. The unknown author for Cautionary Cleantech claims that energy is not scarce as the government tells us. The author claims that the government is too restrictive in what is determined “environmentally friendly energy”. This researcher also noted that with the ever changing climate and land use change, investing into tidal and wave technology (underwater turbine technology) may not be economically feasible for long term use. The unknown author also claims that most alternative energy requires massive amounts of land and funding amount is quite large. How long will the global environmental lobby more powerful than ever, turn a blind eye to the destruction of our rainforest for bio-fuel, and the disruption of every windy hill or tidal estuary on earth for another windmill or marine current turbine?” (Anonymous, 2007) In essence, he claims that we are a natural disaster away from all those potential resources drying up. If we are inclined to support this theory, then we acknowledge that every building and new technology formed that requires massive amounts land has already created an unnatural environmental shift.

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            In contrast to Cautionary Cleantech’s claim that the government has over represented the energy shortage, Al Gore’s discusses in his movie AN INCONVIENANT Truth is the by-product for overuse of our natural resources. “With wit, smarts and hope, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore’s persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue – rather, it is the biggest moral challenges facing our global civilization” (Anonymous, 2007).  

Also see: Ecology and Preservation Approaches Chris Stonecipher and Friends

and Al Gore’s Global Warming Theory    10 Interesting Facts About the 2000 Election

230 Words on Al Gore   The Gory Details

Al Gore Not A Liar, Greedy Media and Gullible Public

Critical Analysis Over the Movie, an Inconvienant Truth