Tidal Energy From the Oceans:
Extracts energy from the kinetic energy of the earth-moon-sun system.
Variations in water level along coastlines can be used to drive
turbines technology is the same as low-head hydro power
Vertical tides on US coast range from 2 feet in Florida to more than 18 feet in Maine
To enhance efficiency of turbines driven by tidal currents, it is desireable to build a damlike structure across the mouth of a tidal basin in order to direct the flow to a turbine
Turbines designed for work at both high and low tide (inflow or outflow)
Intermittent tidal flow is major problem. Tidal facility produces about 1/3 the electrical energy of a hydro facility of the same peak capacity
Two tidal plants in the world:
Proposed New Facilities:
Potential Sites in the US
Bottom Line: There aren't many favorable sites in the world for tidal power and the estimated capacity is 50 times smaller than the world's hydroelectric power capacity.