Tidal Energy

The Gulf of Maine, particularly the Western Passage between Maine and Canada, is one of the best tidal energy resources in the nation. With a successful ten-year history of R&D and commercialization that has advanced expertise in the field, Maine is strongly positioned to be a leader in tidal energy technology.

  • Goal 1: Research Objective
    Prioritize tidal energy activities in four areas: 1) an inventory of potential tidal energy sites, 2) research on environmental impacts, 3) research on the human dimensions of tidal energy development, and 4) creation of a scaled tidal energy test site .
  • Goal 2: Enterprise Objective
    Form a tidal energy cluster that encompasses research and design, manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance, regulation, and site development.
  • Goal 3: Workforce Objective
    Support the creation of a well-trained, well-paid tidal energy workforce, with opportunities for a diverse range of professionals, from engineers and managers to technicians and tradespeople.
  • Goal 4: Climate Change Objective
    Expand Maine’s clean energy portfolio by catalyzing the creation of a commercial-scale tidal energy operation in Maine.

Marine hydrokinetic devices, or tidal stream turbines, capture the water’s kinetic energy when in a free- flowing tidal stream. Tidal stream generators use the same principle as that of the wind turbine, but the condition under which they operate is different. It uses the kinetic energy of the flowing water to produce power, and since water is approximately 830 times denser than air, even at slow current speeds tidal turbines can produce more power than wind turbines. Tides, and therefore tidal energy, are also more predictable and reliable than other renewable energy sources. Tidal power development occurs in estuaries and coastal areas where tidal influence is amplified due to shallowing waters and converging coastline shapes; the same technology is now being used for river sites — in all cases, without dams or impoundments. In addition, power generation from the tides is restricted to areas of the globe that have tidal currents fast enough to generate power. The newer tidal stream technologies are feasible in areas with maximum currents of 1.5 m/s (Khojasteh et al., 2022). The areas in the United States with the best tidal energy resources are the Gulf of Maine, Puget Sound, Washington and Cook Inlet, Alaska. Further, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) considered these locations for tidal energy development and pointed to Western Passage, a waterway on the border of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, as a prime site (Kilcher et al., 2016). With a successful ten-year history of supporting research and development and industry activities that have advanced tidal energy expertise, Maine is strongly positioned to continue leadership and support for tidal energy technology.

Western Passage is a region that has been proposed as a tidal energy site since the 1940s, (when technologies were limited to dam development) and the Electric Power Research Institute has identified this area as the best free-flowing stream tidal energy development opportunity on the East Coast. Estimates identify the overall energy potential within the state of Maine as over 250 MW (Ferland, 2020).

Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) was the first company to advance tidal stream technology in Maine. In 2012, ORPC built and operated a TidGen® Power System in Cobscook Bay in Eastport and Lubec. It was the first revenue-generating, grid- connected tidal energy project in North America, and the first ocean energy project to deliver power to a utility grid anywhere in the Americas. However, challenges still exist in bringing the technology to full commercialization in the U.S., including difficulties with environmental characterizations in turbulent ocean conditions and developing equipment and bottom infrastructure that can withstand the harsh marine waters.

Opportunity

  • With a decade of experience with research and development and commercialization activities, Maine is uniquely situated to be a leader in tidal energy development as it is located next to one of the most promising tidal power sites in the United States .
  • ORPC is currently located in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and Chile, making Maine and the University of Maine situated to become a leading source of public information about new tidal technology development, environmental assessments, and the industry’s role in the larger energy strategy for the state, the nation, and the world .
  • Maine’s Blue Economy promotes the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean and coastal ecosystems .
  • Opportunity to catch up with European countries that added 2.2 MW of tidal stream installations in 2021 generating 68 GWh to electricity generation, with 1.4 MW of tidal energy slated for Europe in 2022 and 1 MW anticipated in the rest of the world with Canada leading these efforts (Ocean Energy Europe, 2022; Figure 2).
  • Demand for sustainable energy globally to reduce the effects of climate change.
  • Microgrid Technology
    • Opportunity to advance in microgrid and power storage technology powered by local renewable energy in coastal communities. Microgrid technology is necessary for rural and “off-grid” facilities.
    • Opportunities for on and off-grid applications in tidal areas, rivers, and colocations with bridges, piers, and breakwaters.
    • ORPC is working to replace diesel-fueled microgrids with renewable energy in Alaska to reduce electricity costs. This adaptation is a potential research area for Maine (DOE, 2022).

Notable Maine Institutions & Organizations

  • Advanced Structures and Composites Center
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Cobscook Bay Resource Center
  • Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) provided engineering evaluation analysis for tidal energy technology. Held a federal preliminary permit with the goal of developing the Tidal Energy Device Evaluation Center (TEDEC), a tidal technology testing site, although the status of the site is unknown
  • Maine Sea Grant
  • Maine Technology Institute (MTI)
  • Maine Tidal Power Initiative (MTPI)
  • Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC)
  • School of Marine Sciences
  • Senator George J. Michell Center for Sustainability Solutions
  • Substantial industry supply chain providing manufacturing, assembly, installation and environmental services
  • University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias
    • Advanced Structures and Composites Center
    • Civil and Environmental Engineering
    • Maine Tidal Power Initiative (MTPI)
    • School of Marine Sciences
    • Senator George J. Michell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Past Research Activities

  • The Maine Tidal Power Initiative (MTPI) is a transdisciplinary team of marine scientists, social scientists, engineers, and oceanographers that used a sustainability science approach to collect data (biophysical, engineering and social) for understanding human and natural system interactions in the context of tidal energy development in Maine (Jansujwicz and Johnson 2014). MTPI’s social science research identified key stakeholders and their preferred engagement strategies (Johnson et al. 2015), documented the regulatory and permitting process (Jansujwicz and Johnson 2015), and gathered data on perceptions related to tidal power development in Downeast Maine (Cobscook Bay and Western Passage). The study site was located in Washington County, which according to the U.S. census has one of the highest rates of unemployment and poverty in Maine and the U.S. From this study, it was found that the communities adjacent to the tidal power development site were most interested in the jobs that would become available due to the installation of tidal power technologies (Johnson et al. 2013).
  • Series of environmental impact assessment studies conducted alongside local communities to best establish environmental conditions prior to and during TidGen® Power device deployment in Cobscook Bay (Shen et al., 2016; Viehman and Zydlewski, 2017; Staines et al., 2020; Grippo et al., 2020).
  • The Western Passage Student Research Collaborative (WPSRC) was established in spring 2019 to engage undergraduate students in a one-year training program focused on research relevant to the development of tidal energy development in coastal areas and the need for environmental impact monitoring. A publication resulting from this study (Cammen et al., 2021) produced an interdisciplinary training, research, and communication framework, and recommendations to facilitate the adaptation and implementation of this framework were provided.
  • Kreshing et al. (2019) studied the impacts of tidal energy in the Gulf of Maine and how sea level rise will alter theoretical tidal power estimates. They found that 1 m of sea level rise will significantly increase tidal energy resources in some areas, but extracted energy depends on the technology being used.
  • Industry and university collaborations: ORPC has worked with UMaine researchers from the School of Marine Sciences and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center over the past several years, which led to research funding, scientific publications, and student experiences in the tidal energy discipline for academic research and job opportunities.

Current Research Activities

Understanding the human dimension of tidal power development by professors Teresa Johnson and Dr. Jessica Jansujwicz at the University of Maine. Environmental assessment for monitoring fish and marine mammal interactions to establish thresholds for regulatory decision-making is currently on hold.

Future Research

  • Characterize marine environments to increase understanding regarding the relationship between ocean energy extraction and marine ecosystems .
  • Mapping of coastal and estuary tidal energy power potential to understand suitable tidal energy development. This would include both ‘large’ sites like Passamaquoddy Bay and Western Passage and ‘small’ sites that could be in estuarine areas along the Maine coast (Maine Governor’s Energy Office, 2015).
  • Create a public repository of marine environmental information. This will reduce the cost of the permitting process for energy developers by having credible scientific information about the marine resource readily available.
  • Create a pathway to commercialization developed collaboratively by industry, government, scientists, and stakeholders .
  • Develop a scaled tidal energy test site in Maine for developers to test technologies. This can be coupled as an offshore wind and wave energy scaled test site as well . Current locations, such as Dyce Head off Castine could be a potential testing site as this has housed the UMaine Volturnus offshore wind scaled test, the UMaine ERDC floating breakwater tests, and is a future test site for wave energy conversion (WEC) devices. Cobscook Bay could also be used for this purpose. Having a test bed site could simplify submerged land leasing requirements for tidal energy testing projects.
  • Couple development of offshore wind turbines with tidal energy turbines as the technologies are similar, but at varying spatial scales.
  • Add engagement of local and traditional knowledge into the regulatory decision-making process.
  • Longitudinal research on evolving public perceptions and other social data needed to inform social impact assessments, permitting, and engagement needs for developers.

Economic Impact

Tidal energy development would create jobs and higher income opportunities for rural Down East coastal counties with high rates of unemployment and people living in poverty. (ORPC has spent nearly $50 million in Maine and almost $7 million in Washington County alone). Jobs would be created in management, engineering and technology positions, and would include the trades and marine operations positions that have commonly anchored the workforce of coastal communities: metal and fiberglass fabricators, electricians, carpenters, boat operators, and boat crew. (Ferland, 2008). Tidal devices are designed and manufactured using composite materials. This equipment could become a standard product offering from Maine’s composite companies and may lead to further market penetration into other marine energy technologies, such as wave energy.

All of this activity would help Maine become a world leader in tidal energy expertise through the formation of a Maine tidal energy cluster (Ferland, 2008). The activities associated with tidal energy technology development encompass marine composites manufacturing, marine installation, operations and management services, marine technology research and development, environmental research, industry standards development, and the refinement of collaborative processes that allow developers, communities, regulators, and other stakeholders to sensibly plan for the industry’s evolution and promise.

References

Department of Energy (2022). People Powered: Championing Indigenous Values in the Clean Energy Transition, https://www.energy.gov/articles/people- powered-championing-indigenous-values-clean- energy-transition

Electric Power Research Institute, Maine Tidal In- Stream Energy Conversion (TISEC): Survey and Characterization of Potential Project Sites, EPRI Report: EPRI-TP-003 ME Rev 1, (2006).

Ferland, J. Ten years of tidal energy experience with the Maine Ocean Energy Act, Ocean and Coastal Law Journal, 25:2, 221-233. https://digitalcommons. mainelaw.maine.edu/oclj/vol25/iss2/2

Ferland, J. (2008) Tidal Energy Development, Maine Policy Review, 17:2, 111-113. https://digitalcommons. library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol17/iss2/17

Grippo, M., G. Zydlewski, H. Shen, R.A. Goodwin, (2020). Behavioral responses to fish to a current-based hydrokinetic turbine under multiple operational conditions. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, DOI:10.1007/s10661-020-08596-5.

IRENA (2020), Fostering a blue economy: Offshore renewable energy, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi. ISBN: 978-92-9260-288-8

Jansujwicz, J.S., and T.R. Johnson, (2015). Understanding and informing permitting decisions for tidal power development in Maine. Estuaries and Coasts, 38(S1):253-265.

Jansujwicz, J.S., T.R. Johnson, (2014). The Maine Tidal Power Initiative: Transdisciplinary sustainability science research for the responsible development of tidal power. Sustainability Science, DOI: 10.1007/ s11625-014-0263-7.

Johnson, T.R., J. Jansujwicz, and G. Zydlewski, (2015). Tidal power development in Maine: Stakeholder identification and perceptions of engagement.

Estuaries and Coasts, 38(S1):266-278. https:// digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mitchellcenter_ pubs/62

Khan, N., A. Kalair, N. Abas, and A. Haider, Review of ocean tidal, wave and thermal energy technologies . Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 72, 590–604 (2017).

Khojasteh, D., M. Lewis, S. Tavakoli, M. Farzadkhoo,

S. Felder, G. Iglesias, W. Glamore, (2022). Sea level rise will change estuarine tidal energy: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, DOI:10.1016/j.rses.2021.111855.

Kilcher, L., R. Thresher, H. Tinnesand, (2016). Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Site Identification and Ranking Methodology Part II: Tidal Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Technical Report NREL/TP-5000-66079.

Lee, N. et al. Hybrid floating solar photovoltaics- hydropower systems: Benefits and global assessment of technical potential. Renew. Energy 162, 1415–1427 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. renene.2020.08.080

Maine Governor’s Energy Office and Dorman, Randall, “Maine Hydropower Study” (2015).

Governor’s Energy Office Documents. 33. https:// digitalmaine.com/energy_docs/33/.

Melikoglu, M. Current status and future of ocean energy sources: A global review. Ocean Eng.148, 563–573 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. oceaneng.2017.11.045

Neill, S. P. et al. Tidal range energy resource and optimization – Past perspectives and future challenges. Renew. Energy 127, 763–778 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2018.05.007

Ocean Energy Europe (2022). Ocean Energy: Key Trends and Statistics 2021.

Rusu, E. and V. Venugopal, Special issue ‘offshore renewable energy: Ocean waves, tides and offshorewind’. Energies 12, 12–15 (2019). https://doi. org/10.3390/en12010182

Shen, H., G. Zydlewski, H.A. Wiehman, G. Staines, (2016). Estimating the probability of fish encountering a marine hydrokinetic device, Renewable Energy, 97, 746-756. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.06.026

Soudan, B. Community-scale baseload generation from marine energy. Energy 189, (2019). https://doi. org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.116134

Staines, G., G. Zydlewski, H.A. Viehman, R. Kocik, (2020). Applying two active acoustic technologies to document presence of large marine animal targets at a marine renewable energy site. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, DOI:10.3390/jmse8090704.

Viehman, H.A., G. Zydlewski, (2017). Multi-scale temporal patterns in fish presence in a high-velocity tidal channel. PLOS ONE, 12(5), e0176405. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176405