sfenvironment.org

Ocean Power

Anyone who's been knocked over by a sizeable wave knows how much power there is in the ocean. That power—the natural movements of seawater, its tides and currents—can be harnessed. Ocean Power (also known as "ocean energy," "marine energy" and "marine renewable energy") is a new and emerging area of renewable energy that San Francisco is exploring to possibly play a large role in providing us our clean energy in the coming years. You might call it the wave of the future.

For example, the volume and speed of the water that rushes through the Golden Gate could provide a vast amount of constantly renewing energy. The city is currently exploring the feasibility of harnessing that energy and, as a second possibility, with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), has entered Phase 2 of a study to find the best site for a wave energy pilot project along the California coast (one of the sites being San Francisco's Ocean Beach) for an offshore wave power plant.

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