San Francisco mayor backs ocean wave power

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom has pledged to harness the power of the ocean before he leaves office. The mayor was quoted in the Examiner as saying that he will not leave office until energy-generating equipment is in the water.

Other California initiatives to harness ocean power are already under way. Pacific Gas and Electric has already signed a power purchase agreement with Finavera Renewables for a long-term, 2Mw wave power installation off the northern cost of the state. Production is scheduled for 2012.

Ocean energy harvesting breaks down into two categories, according to Chris Campbell, executive director of the Ocean Renewable Energy Group, a Canadian organisation that represents the nascent ocean energy harvesting industry. Tidal energy plants use the broad tidal movement of the ocean to generate power, whereas devices such as buoys generate power from waves by floating on or near the ocean’s surface. Most projects under consideration are located in coastal waters.

“We are currently where wind was 20 years ago,” said Campbell. “The engineering and power industry is essentially a terrestrial industry, while the marine sector has been offshore oil and gas-oriented. It is only recently that we tried to build some bridges between the power and offshore industries, and it is a tough environment.”

Other pilot projects include a wave power system off the coast of Portugal from Scottish firm Pelamis Wave Power. Australian firm CETO has also piloted a project with its desalinating wave power technology, and plans a commercial implementation in 2009.