First wave-produced electricity in US goes online in Hawaii

In the waters off the coast of Hawaii, a tall buoy bobs and sways in the water, using the rise and fall of the waves to generate electricity.

The current travels through an undersea cable for a mile to a military base, where it is fed into Oahu's power grid—the first wave-produced electricity to go online in the U.S. By some estimates, the ocean's endless motion packs enough power to meet a quarter of America's energy needs and dramatically reduce the nation's reliance on oil, gas and coal. But wave energy technology lags well behind wind and solar power, with important technical hurdles still to be overcome.

To that end, the Navy has established a test site in Hawaii, with hopes the technology can someday be used to produce clean, renewable power for offshore fueling stations for the fleet and provide electricity to coastal communities in fuel-starved places around the world.

Hawaii would seem a natural site for such technology. The island state also has the highest electricity costs in the nation. Still, it could be five to 10 years before wave energy technology can provide an affordable alternative to fossil fuels.

Read more at Phys.org

Image Credit: Cathy Bussewitz

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