Tidal energy demonstration: a worthwhile endeavor

In light of the recent news that tidal energy developer OpenHydro is seeking creditor protection, there have been important questions raised about the future of tidal energy, both here at home and abroad.

Presently, the demonstration of in-stream tidal energy is expensive and the technology still needs to be proven. We know this is the nature of emerging technologies – we’ve seen this in the early stages of other green technologies such as wind energy, electric vehicles, and even solar power.

What’s clear is that we can’t keep burning fossil fuels while the impacts of climate change continue to mount. We need solutions, and we need to find out if in-steam tidal energy can help meet our clean energy goals. It will take time to find the answers and to know if this new technology is both safe and affordable…