The marinescape offers vast amounts of energy, whether in the form of offshore wind or tidal movement.
North America has been slow to cultivate offshore wind, but that’s starting to change. Witness this week’s auction by the US government of leases to develop wind farms off the West Coast. The auction attracted $757 million in winning bids.
Offshore wind and microgrids have yet to be paired in any scalable way — and may never be. There are some small plays: an offshore wind project in Turkey is employing microgrid principles, and Odfjell offers a mobile wind technology unit for microgrids that power offshore oil and gas rigs.
But tidal energy is another story. Because tides are predictable, they can help offset some of the unpredictability of renewable energy in microgrids. Lisa Cohn explains more in today’s feature, Will tidal energy be the new clean power in coastal and island microgrids?
Happy reading! Elisa Wood, editor-in-chief
