As an oceanfront community, it seems natural to turn our attention to the number of promising ocean energy devices being developed and tested, as long as these technologies are proved to be sensitive to surrounding marine habitats.

Wave Buoys
This technology floats beneath the water, generating energy through the up and down motion of the waves. Generating 300 kW each, 1,000 of these devices along the tri-counties coast would generate about 2.4 billion kWh per year. Similar devices, such as the Pelamis wave energy converter should also be considered, as this device is the furthest along in the R&D process and will soon be used for a pilot project off the coast of San Francisco.

C-planes
Aptly named because it looks like a large airplane, this technology is essentially an aquatic version of a wind turbine that is being developed by the tri-county based Clipper Windpower, Inc. The C-plane would float offshore in strong currents, such as those found outside of the Channel Islands.

Tidal devices
Tidal energy devices are being developed and should at least be examined for their suitability to our region.

Learn more about ocean power in Chapter 7 of CEC's Regional Energy Blueprint.