Nation’s First Tidal Energy Project Dedicated in Eastport, Maine - Business
The nation’s first commercial tidal energy project was dedicated Tuesday in this northeastern-most city of the United States, the beginning of a new industry that energy officials project could someday generate a significant portion of the nation’s electricity.
This project, developed by Ocean Renewable Power Co. of Portland, Maine, is a small first step toward this future. The tidal generator that will soon be lowered to the seafloor near here will become part of a network of 20 underwater turbines in this area, producing enough electricity to power some 1,200 homes.
“Tidal energy has arrived in America and it just landed right here,” Ocean Renewable Power’s chief executive, Chris Sauer, told a crowd of about 200 people at the dedication ceremony. Maine is second only to Alaska in the number of places with strong enough tides and waves to support ocean power installations, energy officials said.
The first tidal generator is expected to begin delivering electricity to the regional power grid in September, starting small, with just enough to power 25 homes. It is the product of several years and millions of dollars in investment by Ocean Renewable Power’s backers and the Department of Energy.
The Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project cost about $21 million, including research and development, design and fabrication of three turbine units, installation, and environmental monitoring. The systems capture the energy of the moving water, rotating a turbine that powers a generator.
Ocean Renewable Power came to Eastport about six years ago after realizing that Maine’s tides presented a much better opportunity than the currents in Florida, where the company was founded.