Marine energy will play a key role in achieving Alaska’s clean energy goals
REAP members, ORPC and Homer Electric Association (HEA), are committed to advancing tidal energy and are working together to achieve this goal. ORPC signed a joint development agreement with HEA who plans to purchase power generated by ORPC from a pilot tidal project in the East Foreland region of Cook Inlet. This agreement will help HEA reach their goal to get 18% of their energy production from renewable sources by 2023. Currently, 15% of their energy production is attributed to renewable generation, mostly from hydroelectric projects.
The Cook Inlet project would be one of the first tidal power generators in the country.
ORPC is filing a permit for a pilot project in Nikiski with an environmental assessment to ensure there will be no damage to fish and whale populations. ORPC’s tidal technology relies on the movement of the tides to spin turbines connected to an underwater generator. The first device with this pilot project won’t send power to a grid, but would act as a test to gauge the impact of salt water on the machine. Installation of a permanent device could take a decade.
The challenge of tidal energy development has been finding a market. More investments have gone into solar and wind power, leaving tidal 10 years behind even though it could be a more reliable and predictable source of renewable energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy now considers development of marine energy resources a domestic priority, and studies estimate the inlet holds over a third of all tidal energy potential in the U.S. According to the International Energy Agency, marine energy could save 500 million tons of CO2 emissions globally and create 680,000 new jobs. Learn more about tidal energy on REAP’s website.
ORPC already has a hydrokinetic generator in Igiugug on the Alaska Peninsula. The RivGen unit sits in freshwater, in the Kvichak River, and is helping Igiugig ween off its dependence from diesel. It’s the longest operating in-river energy converter in the Americas and there are plans to install a second unit this summer. By providing a fully renewable baseload power supply, the community will reduce its diesel consumption by 60-90%.
ORPC could have a generator in the water in Cook Inlet in the next 3 years, advancing tidal energy even further and helping Alaska get closer to reaching its clean energy goals.