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On Monday I attended a Tidal Power Feasibility Study presentation at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, in Halifax, NS. The study was conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute on behalf of states and provinces in North America, including Alaska, Washington, California, Massachusetts, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. This is about second generation technology, TISEC, Tidal In-Stream Energy Conversion, which bypasses dams in favor of multiple bottom-anchored turbines. Interestingly, these have benefited much from advances in wind-power generating technology, reducing their learning curve and entry cost.

The huge advantage of TISEC is its power density; since it makes use of moving water, this is much higher than that of wind or solar. Nova Scotia's Minas Basin, with the highest tides in the world, is the number 1 spot in North America, and perhaps world-wide, for TISEC. Second is right under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Large scale commercialization still seems a decade away. A 150 megawatt plant in Minas Basin would be immediately price competitive, with zero carbon emissions. The fact that you can use discrete TISEC units (with EPRI having identified 3 top candidates) suggests small-scale tidal power generation may also be feasible, assuming rights are granted to public waterways.