Cape Cod Today has consistently posted a great deal of pertinent energy information and the following is offered for those who might have overlooked the article:
.Tapping the source
The power of the oceans
A key feature is that the turbines use technology and components developed from the wind industry, that already exist and that have been developed over the last 20 years. It is only the support structure that is truly new and innovative.Last year I came across the story of Dutch company Kema and their energy island idea - basically a variant on the usual pumped hydro energy storage concept where water is pumped out of a space below sea level then allowed to flow back in, generating power as it does. The "island" uses wind power to pump water out of the enclosed area. An obvious extension to this idea would be to harness ocean energy as well - letting wave and/or tidal power supplement the output of the wind turbines. An attraction of this concept is that it potentially allows a large amount of new energy storage to be brought online - and this storage would be along the world's coastlines, where most of the population lives....
In the United States, at the southern end of the Bay of Fundy, lies Passamaquoddy Bay, which has long been a target for a tidal power development - first initiated in 1935 by the Public Works Administration under the Roosevelt administration, then halted by Congress a year later. John F Kennedy revived the 550 MW project in 1963, however the plan died with him (spawning one of the stranger JFK assassination conspiracy theories I have come across).
Further south, in the Martha's Vineyard area, two underwater turbine projects are trying to get started - one a 300 MW proposal from Oceana Energy Company and the other from Natural Currents Energy Services. Other projects are being considered in the Cape Cod and New Bedford areas - part of a "gold rush" for good tidal power sites (the most desirable ones usually have hourglass figures, to get maximum force in the incoming tide) which has seen the FERC issue 47 preliminary permits for ocean energy projects (and generated mainstream news coverage on the NBC network)... The Oil Drum.
A key feature is that the turbines use technology and components developed from the wind industry, that already exist and that have been developed over the last 20 years. It is only the support structure that is truly new and innovative.Last year I came across the story of Dutch company Kema and their energy island idea - basically a variant on the usual pumped hydro energy storage concept where water is pumped out of a space below sea level then allowed to flow back in, generating power as it does. The "island" uses wind power to pump water out of the enclosed area. An obvious extension to this idea would be to harness ocean energy as well - letting wave and/or tidal power supplement the output of the wind turbines. An attraction of this concept is that it potentially allows a large amount of new energy storage to be brought online - and this storage would be along the world's coastlines, where most of the population lives....
In the United States, at the southern end of the Bay of Fundy, lies Passamaquoddy Bay, which has long been a target for a tidal power development - first initiated in 1935 by the Public Works Administration under the Roosevelt administration, then halted by Congress a year later. John F Kennedy revived the 550 MW project in 1963, however the plan died with him (spawning one of the stranger JFK assassination conspiracy theories I have come across).
Further south, in the Martha's Vineyard area, two underwater turbine projects are trying to get started - one a 300 MW proposal from Oceana Energy Company and the other from Natural Currents Energy Services. Other projects are being considered in the Cape Cod and New Bedford areas - part of a "gold rush" for good tidal power sites (the most desirable ones usually have hourglass figures, to get maximum force in the incoming tide) which has seen the FERC issue 47 preliminary permits for ocean energy projects (and generated mainstream news coverage on the NBC network)... The Oil Drum.
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Environment Massachusetts posted the following:
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Global Warming Solutions News
For Immediate Release:03/06/2008
For More Information:
For Immediate Release:03/06/2008
For More Information:
Contact Ben Wright(617) 747-4313
Environment Massachusetts praises the Senate for passing the Global Warming Solutions Act
Boston-
Environment Massachusetts praises the Senate for passing the Global Warming Solutions Act
Boston-
Today the Senate passed landmark global warming legislation that will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from the Commonwealth by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.
The bill, The Global Warming Solutions Act, was filed by Senator Marc Pacheco (Taunton) at the beginning of this session and approved by the Joint Committee on Agriculture the Environment and Natural Resources in November.
“I applaud the Senate for setting us on course to avoid the worst effects of global warming,“ said Ben Wright, global warming advocate for Environment Massachusetts, “with this vote the Senate has shown their commitment to making Massachusetts a leader in visionary environmental policy. LINK
“I applaud the Senate for setting us on course to avoid the worst effects of global warming,“ said Ben Wright, global warming advocate for Environment Massachusetts, “with this vote the Senate has shown their commitment to making Massachusetts a leader in visionary environmental policy. LINK
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Make it happen by Earth Day!
The Massachusetts Senate passed a landmark bill to reduce our greenhouse gases emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. But it's not over yet -- now we need to pass our global warming bill in the House.
Please ask your state representative to work to pass this landmark bill by Earth Day. ACTION
The Massachusetts Senate passed a landmark bill to reduce our greenhouse gases emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. But it's not over yet -- now we need to pass our global warming bill in the House.
Please ask your state representative to work to pass this landmark bill by Earth Day. ACTION
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And don't forget to ask the Middleboro Selectmen what actions they're taking to reduce municipal energy consumption.
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