New York: Leading the way in tidal power

Christopher Mackey — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:04:23 +0000

Tidal energy has been, for many decades, coveted as a compelling but mostly unreachable source of sustainable power. As the second-most plentiful renewable energy source on the planet, it is much more abundant and reliable than wind power and has the potential to be useful in many coastal cities. However, up until the present, strategies for obtaining tidal energy, such as dam construction, were generally regarded as unsustainable since they often severely damaged coastal ecosystems and potentially prevented the flow of ocean sediments.