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US Uncorks $16M For 17 Projects To Capture Wave Energy

Posted by samzenpus on from the time-and-tide dept.

coondoggie writes "The US Energy Department this week said it would spend $16 million for seventeen projects to help research and develop energy generating systems from waves, tides and currents. The energy agency says the US could generate up to 1,400 terawatt hours of potential power per year. One terawatt-hour of electricity is enough to power 85,000 homes, according to the agency."

6 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Wee, it's no wonder by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    With $16M spread across 17 projects, it's no wonder that STEM jobs are underpaid. Then again, with all the billions being wasted on spying (on US citizens as well as foreigners), it no wonder there is so little left for projects which might actually benefit mankind.

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    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
  2. $16 million? Really? by Jmc23 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Only 60,000 times smaller than amount spent on military. I wonder if the US citizens will ever revolt?

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    Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
  3. Power vs. energy by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is it really asking so much for a three-sentence summary to address "power" and "energy" correctly and consistently?

    Any time someone talks about a power facility in terms of "terawatt-hours per year", they're either confused themselves, or they're trying to confuse you. (Or both.) If they're talking about "terawatt-hours of power", they're the ones who are confused.

  4. 1 TeraW per 85,000 homes ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That means almost 12 KW per home.

    I wonder if the US Energy Department is aware of the fact that in most of Europe each home gets between 3 and 5 KW. Even at 6 KW (which should be more than enough for the vast majority of homes), that would double the figure, up to 170,000 homes.

    Cutting energy use should be targeted, along with new, renewable energy sources...

  5. Re:Less than $1m each? by Joce640k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Doesn't seem like a lot of money for tidal power.

    Trillions for wars/spying on the public. Billions for waging a "war on drugs" and the militarization of police forces. $16 million for energy research, something that would fix the economy and kick-start all sorts of amazing technologies.

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  6. Re:Less than $1m each? by supernova87a · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's a good thing that we fund more alternative energy development projects, especially given the absolute crap kinds of things that we as a country are throwing our tax dollars into recently. However, it is important to be upfront that wave power has among the worst cost effectiveness of any of the alternative energy technologies, i.e. solar, wind, geothermal, etc.

    If you look at the LCOE (levelized cost of energy, basically the evened-out cost per energy taking into account installation, operation, transportation, etc), wave energy is an order of magnitude bad.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source#Analysis_from_different_sources

    That being said, of course any technology needs research to help to bring it down in cost and become a reasonable option. But the current cost also just reflects that there is a portion of cost that cannot be easily reduced, because of the inevitable difficulty of the marine environment, generating power there (maintaining these contraptions), and getting the power to land.