Tidal energy generators would work in Alaska

Spectrum, by Patricia Wade

The headline in the Aug. 12 Frontiersman read "Knik toll authority named" and there was Darcie Salmon's picture. If we had tidal generators, would we need to charge people a toll?

Less than a year ago, according to The Herald in Glasgow, one of the world's first tidal energy generators was being installed off the coast of Shetland. The prototype tidal generator was being fitted as part of research to test new forms of renewable energy. Projects like Stingray should help the government meet promises on the environment. Brian Wilson, the energy minister, said it was in the country's best interests to support research into new forms of renewable energy. He said: "It is the first major step which will take this potentially huge technology from the laboratory to large-scale power generation. The Stingray project shows that knowledge developed in the oil and gas industry can also be applied to innovative schemes which harness the power of the sea, provide electricity and go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Tidal energy is seen as having advantages over hydroelectric energy or wind farms as generators have little environmental impact, being largely invisible above the water line and producing no sound. The firm says the pilot program will prove the reliability and energy output of the equipment while allowing engineers to practice maintaining and controlling the technology.

A quick search on the Internet shows that most of the southern coast of Alaska has tidal ranges suitable for tidal power generation and Tidal Electric of Alaska's generators could be sited anywhere in those areas. The vast majority of Alaska's population lives on or near this coastline or is connected by distribution grid to coastline sites. The theoretical potential amount of power is enormous: enough to meet Alaska's existing load many times over.

Tidal Electric's mission is to apply its technology to the task of easing the transition of the world's power supply from a fossil fuels/nuclear energy source to a renewable, sustainable energy source. Tidal Electric's technology is ready for rapid, commercial-scale deployment throughout the world's power markets. They have said, "We want to help meet the very strong demand for electrical power with safe, pollution free tidal generators. We want to build plants that harvest the vast hydroelectric potential of the ocean's tides to create pollution-free electricity. We want to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants by gently converting a small fraction of the oceans' great power into electricity and helping meet the burgeoning demand for electricity with tidal generators."

I don't think we can count on Gov. Frank Murkowski to be environmentally aware, especially after seeing that he might sell Alaska's largest oil refinery to Koch, a Kansas company with a record of major environmental violations in the Lower 48.

Can we count on Darcie, Lyda Green and Bill Stoltze to act in the best interest of this beautiful land? I guess only time will tell if they are willing to tap into the never ending supply of energy, generated by the tides.

Patricia Wade is the editor of The Chickaloon News.