Harnessing the Motion of the Ocean
You know what they say: It's not the size of the wave, it's the motion of the ocean. Turns out that's pretty much true. And now Maine is putting it to the test with the first tidal generator to go online and actually power things.
Almost every state with a coastline has dabbled in capturing the energy of water waves, but the Bay of Fundy (why does that sound funny when you say it out loud?) is making it a reality with the Maine Tidal Energy Project.
The first turbine will operate solo for a year, generating 150-kilowatts for the grid as water runs through the turbine at about 7 miles per hour (11.3 kilometers per hour). Once all the bugs are worked out of the first turbine, about 20 more will set sail and deliver about 3-megawatts of power when they're all hooked together. That's enough to power 1,200 homes. Not much, but it's a start.