Assessing the effects of marine and hydrokinetic energy development on marine and estuarine resources

The world's oceans and estuaries offer enormous potential to meet the nation's growing demand for energy. The use of marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) devices to harness the power of wave and tidal energy could contribute significantly toward meeting federal- and state-mandated renewable energy goals while supplying a substantial amount of clean energy to coastal communities. Locations along the eastern and western coasts of the United States between 40° and 70° north latitude are ideal for MHK deployment, and recent estimates of wave and current energy resource potential in the US suggest that up to 400 terawatt hours could be generated, representing about 10% of national energy demand. Because energy derived from wave and tidal devices is highly predictable, their inclusion in our energy portfolio could help balance available sources of energy production, including hydroelectric, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, geothermal, and others.