The California State Senate has unanimously approved SB 605, which will ensure the development of wave and tidal energy as a new source of renewable energy.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that such energy has the technical potential to supply 30% of the nation's energy needs, Offshore Energy reports.
It is noted that oceanic energy can potentially affect oceanic biodiversity and habitats. The document provides that such a source of energy should be developed with minimal damage to the environment. Currently, the draft law has been submitted to the Assembly for consideration.
The article emphasized that, subject to large-scale development and use of the energy of sea waves and tides, it can bring economic and environmental benefits to the state and the country as a whole.
The authors added that the wave energy industry has actively welcomed California's efforts.
"The passage of SB 605 by the Senate is an important step in the development of an energy resource that has enormous potential. CalWave has successfully completed a 10-month wave energy pilot project off the coast of California, demonstrating the technology's performance, reliability and sustainability," said CEO and co-founder CalWave Power Technologies, a wave energy company , Markus Lehmann.
The administration of US President Joe Biden is counting on wave and tidal energy to help the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and has invested millions of dollars in its development, it said. However, California has yet to tap into this powerful energy source, which is less variable than solar and wind power.
According to NREL, California's outer continental shelf has the potential wave energy resources to power 13 million homes.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that in the USA, the new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will help implement innovative climate solutions, in particular, a potential railway car that will capture carbon during movement and will not require additional external energy.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, a team of European scientists discovered that the installation of floating solar power plants in local reservoirs will be able to fully provide energy to 6,256 cities in 124 countries of the world. Such stations will also save 106 cubic kilometers of water per year from evaporation.
