Obama’s outlined a New Energy Policy as he periodically does without any far reaching national goals on to reduce America’s dependence on billions of barrels of imported oil which cause global warming,finance terrorist and prop up brutal regimes in the Middle East.However his periodic bursts of rhetoric on the US Energy Policy is nothing but a lot of empty gas without any specifics.Earlier he used to stress on nuclear energy which has been thrown out of the window with the Fukushima nuclear disaster.His plans of supporting the nuclear energy industry with $36 billion in DOE loans seems a bad if not a gruesome joke.Similarly last year his plans of allowing offshore drilling for Oil also fell flat after the massive BP Oil Spill ecological disaster.His New Energy Policy is anything but new as it hashes the same old stale ideas once again.The 5 points of his New Energy Policy (listed below) are as bad as they get.Using biofuels from corn increase food prices worldwide.The “Clean Energy Standard” is nothing but a statement without any implementation or specifics.The increased fuel efficiency for vehicles is the only thing good about the policy.The rest are just useless

1) More domestic production of oil.
2) Expand the use of biofuels as an oil substitute.
3) Develop natural gas as a transport fuel
4) Increase the efficiency of motor vehicles in order to use less gasoline.
5) Maintain a “clean energy standard” to promote electricity generation from plants by using cleaner burning fuels and renewables.

US is already way behind in the Green Industry trailing China and Germany for the biggest green investments in 2010.With lack of any movement towards climate change mitigation or large scale support for wind and solar energy,US should keep slipping further into oblivion even as countries like Taiwan,South Korea and even India make massive strides.The Opposition Republicans are even worst as they are completedly bought over by the powerful Oil and Gas Lobby.They have even less of a vision on how to change the blundering US Energy Policy than Obama.

Obama oil policy aims to cut imports by one-third, critics say it’s not enough

Pointing to continuing Middle East unrest and spiraling gas prices, President Barack Obama Wednesday proposed a one-third reduction in oil imports within the next decade.”Any claim that my administration is responsible for gas prices because we’ve ‘shut down’ oil production, any claim like that is simply untrue,” Obama said. “It might make for a useful sound bite, but it doesn’t track with reality. What is true is we’ve said if you’re going to drill offshore you’ve got to have a plan to make sure that we don’t have the kind of catastrophe that we had last year.”

The plan relies on a combination of increased domestic oil and natural gas production and incentives for alternative energy as well as support for nuclear power plants despite the recent Japanese disaster.

“I don’t think anybody here has forgotten what happened last year, where we had to deal with the largest oil spill in [our] history,” Obama said, as he outlined his plans for oil and gas development. “I know some of the fishermen down in the Gulf Coast haven’t forgotten it.”

Greenworldinvestor Articles that you should read on Failed US Energy Policies

  1. Solyndra Fab Shutdown a Slap in the Face of USA Discretionary Federal Green Aid
  2. US States Support Green Energy through Local Policies even as Federal Government is “Asleep at the Wheel”
  3. USA losing Green Jobs as Solar Companies shut US plants and Outsource Production to Mexico and China
  4. Is Obama’s expectation of a 40% US Marketshare of Vehicle Battery Industry Realistic?
  5. Germany adds as much Solar Energy in just 1 month as USA’s entire Installed Solar capacity
  6. Are the Subsidized Huge Solar Thermal Plants in California a Massive Waste of Public Money
  7. South Korea continues its Green Quest with Launch of its First All Korean EV Hyundai BlueOn Powered by SK Energy’s Lithium Batteries

What is Tidal Renewable Energy

Tidal Energy is one of the many forms of Renewable Energy like Solar,Wind and Geothermal Energy.Tidal Energy is derived from the movement of Waves or Tides due to the Gravitational Attraction of the Earth and the Moon.Tidal Energy is a form of Gravitational Energy which can be used to do Work or be converted in other forms of Energy.Tidal Energy is still an immature technology with advancements in Tidal Energy not as rapid as other forms of Renewable Energy.

Tidal Renewable Energy is a niche form of Alternative Energy with less than 500 MW of Electricity Capacity worldwide.Tidal Renewable Energy generates less than .001% of the worldwide electricity generation as the Technology of this Alternative Energy is still quite immature.Tidal Renewable Energy is still an immature technology with most of the plants built around the world being pilot/demonstration ones.The older ones based on Tidal Barrages are also very few in number with the Tidal Power Plant in Le Rance in France the only major operating Tidal Power Plant in the World.Tidal Barrages however are facing major headwinds due to high capital costs and long gestation periods.The newer Tidal Renewable Energy Technologies like Pelamis and Seagen hold big potential though  still a decade away from reaching large commercial scale just like Algae based Biofuel and other forms of Green Technology.

Tidal Wave Energy is still in its baby phase with the technology not developed far enough to make it a real alternative to fossil fuel energy.However like solar and wind power 20-30 years ago,Tidal Wave Energy can still develop to become a major form of alternative energy.

Uses of Tidal Renewable Energy

  1. Tidal Electricity – Like other forms of Energy,the main usage of Tidal Energy is in the generation of Electricity.Tidal Energy is being used in France to generate 240 MW of Tidal Electricity at very low costs.
  2. Grain Mills – Tidal Energy has been used for hundreds of years.Just like Wind Mills,Tidal Energy was used for the mechanical crushing of grains in Grain Mills.
  3. Provide Protection to Coast in High Storms,Prevent Flooding etc – Tidal Barrages can prevent Damage to the Coast during High Storms and also provide an easy transport method between the 2 arms of a Bay or an Estuary on which it is built.Tidal Barrages can also prevent flooding,seperate saline water from sweet water and increase the depth of the estuary.

Advantages of Tidal Renewable Energy

  1. Renewable,non-Polluting and Carbon Negative – Tidal Energy is completely renewable,does not lead to any pollution of the air and does not lead to any carbon emissions like Fossil Fuels
  2. Predictable – Tidal Wave Energy is very predictable as the Tides rise with great uniformity.Other forms of Renewable Energy like Solar and Wind Energy are intermittent in nature.
  3. No Fuel – Tidal Power needs Water for Generation of Electricity in its catchment area.It does not need fuel like Thermal,Gas or Oil Powered Power Stations
  4. Low Costs – Once a Tidal Energy Power Plant starts running,its costs are extremely low.The biggest Power Plant in France run by EDF works at 1.5c/Kwh which is lower than either nuclear or coal energy which are the cheapest forms of power
  5. Long Life – A Tidal Barrage has a very long life of around 100 years which is much longer than that of even Nuclear Power Plants.

Disadvantages of Tidal Renewable Energy

  1. High Initial Capital Investment – Tidal Barrages require massive investment to construct a Barrage or Dam across a river estuary.This is comparable to construction of a massive dam for Hydro Power.This is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of this technology
  2. Long Gestation Time – The cost and time overruns can be huge for Tidal Power Plants leading to their cancellation just like that of the Severn Barrage in the UK.Many of the Tidal Power Stations like the gigantic Plant being planned in Russia will never come to fruition because of the very long gestation time.
  3. Effect on Marine Life – The operation of commercial Tidal Power Stations has known to moderately affect the marine life around the Power Plant.It leads to disruption in movement and growth of fishes and other marine life.Can also lead to increase in silt.Turbines can also kill fish passing through it.

Economics of Tidal Renewable Energy

The newer forms of converting Tidal Energy into Electricity are still in the demonstration stage to really form an idea about the economics of Tidal Power.The older form like Tidal Barrages are few and far between.The high capital cost has killed most of the Tidal Barrages in the drawing stage itself.The Le Rance is the only major >50 MW Tidal Barrage in the world and it has performed at extremely low costs.However the huge investment required removes private capital from the equation and government too have been reluctant to invest despite the very low running costs of the Tidal Plants.

 

1 ) Rance Tidal Tidal Power Plant is the world’s first and the most famous Tidal Power Plant in the world.The 240 MW power plant is located on Rance River,Brittany,France and was started almost 45 years ago.The Tidal Power Station is run by French state owned electricity giant EDF .

2) Annapolis Royal Tidal Power Plant is North America’s only power station and is located in Nova Scotia,Canada with a 20 MW power capacity.This Tidal Power Plant is built on the Bay of Frundy was built in 1984.The power plant operates on the same principle of tidal barrage and it has also faced issues of damage to river and marine life.

3) Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant unlike other Power Plants is already being constructed and with a capacity of 254 MW will be the biggest Tidal Power Plant in the world when completed.The plants is located in South Korea.The cost of the plant is estimated to be between $300-400 million which compares quite favorably with other forms of energy .

Summary

Tidal Power is an extremely good source of Renewable Energy,however the practical limitations of location,high investment and lack of technology advancement has made Tidal Energy a negligible source of Power globally.While some countries like India and South Korea have Tidal Power Plants in the planning stage,UK has killed the Severn Tidal Power Station because of high capital investments.

Tidal Wave Energy

Tidal Wave Energy is still a very niche technology with tidal barrages generating most of the electricity in a few power stations. Most of the tidal power plants using the modern tidal turbine technology are still in the pilot phase and generate negligible power. Tidal Energy has many advantages and disadvantages with the cons of massive investments and long gestation time winning over the many pros of Tidal Power.

Note Tidal Energy is a favorite for scientists and has been for a long time due to the almost limitless potential. Like Geothermal Energy, however Tidal Energy is stuck in a low growth phase and faces a real possibility that it may not be anything but an esoteric source of Energy. Tidal Energy shares many of the same problems as Geothermal Energy does despite Geothermal Energy having a much longer history. Both of these Renewable Sources of Energy lack Big Companies and the sexiness of Solar or Wind Power. Here are is the list of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Tidal Energy.

Tidal Power Pros

  1. Renewable, non-Polluting and Carbon Negative – Tidal Energy is completely renewable, does not lead to any pollution of the air and does not lead to any carbon emissions like Fossil Fuels.
  2. Predictable – Tidal Wave Energy is very predictable as the Tides rise with great uniformity. Other forms of Renewable Energy like Solar and Wind Energy are intermittent in nature. The electricity supply is much more uniform and reliable in case of Tidal Power.
  3. No Fuel – Tidal Power needs Water for Generation of Electricity in its catchment area. It does not need fuel like Thermal, Gas or Oil Powered Power Stations.
  4. Low Costs – Once a Tidal Energy Power Plant starts running, its costs are extremely low. The biggest Power Plant in France run by EDF works at 1.5c/Kwh which is lower than either nuclear or coal energy which are the cheapest forms of power.
  5. Long Life – A Tidal Barrage has a very long life of around 100 years which is much longer than that of even Nuclear Power Plants. The long life implies that the life cycle cost of a Tidal Energy Power Plant becomes very low in the long term.
  6. High Energy Density – The Energy Density of Tidal Energy is much higher than that of other forms of Renewable Energy like Wind Power.
  7. High Load Factor – The Load Factor for Solar and Wind Energy ranges from 15-40% which is quite low compared to Fossil Fuel Energy. Tidal Energy has a load factor of almost 80% which is equal to that of Thermal Power.

Tidal Power Cons

  1. High Initial Capital Investment – Tidal Barrages require massive investment to construct a Barrage or Dam across a river estuary. This is comparable to construction of a massive dam for Hydro Power. This is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of this technology.
  2. Limited Locations – The US DOE estimates that there are only about 40 locations in the world capable of supporting Tidal Barrages. This is because this Tidal Energy Technology requires sizable Tides for the Power Plant to be built. The limited number of locations is a big hurdle.
  3. Effect on Marine Life – The operation of commercial Tidal Power Stations has known to moderately affect the marine life around the Power Plant. It leads to disruption in movement and growth of fishes and other marine life. Can also lead to increase in silt. Turbines can also kill fish passing through it.
  4. Immature Technology – Except for Tidal Barrage, the other forms of Technology generating Tidal or Wave Power are quite immature, costly and unproven.
  5. Long Gestation Time – The cost and time overruns can be huge for Tidal Power Plants leading to their cancellation just like that of the Severn Barrage in the UK. Many of the Tidal Power Stations like the gigantic Plant being planned in Russia will never come to fruition because of the very long gestation time.
  6. Difficulty in Transmission of Tidal Electricity – Some forms of Tidal Power generate power quite far away from the consumption of electricity. Transportation of Tidal Energy can be quite cumbersome and expensive.
  7. Weather Effects – Severe Weather like Storms and Typhoons can be quite devastating on the Tidal Power Equipment especially those place on the Sea Floor.

Summary

Tidal Energy like all other forms of Energy suffers from both advantages and disadvantages. The Tidal Energy phase of development has made the Cons outweigh the Pros unlike other Renewable Energy forms like Wind and Solar Energy. However innovative methods are being developing to harness Tidal and Wave Energy which might prove to be a game changer and move Tidal Energy into the mainstream Energy Industry.

Greenworldinvestor Articles Expanding on This Article

  1. Disadvantages of Wind Power – A Rebuttal as the Selfish Delay Wind Farms to Death
  2. Pros and Cons of Wind Power,Turbines and Farms – The Advantages outweighs the Disadvantages
  3. Ten Advantages of Biomass Energy – Oldest Alternative Energy Form gets back in vogue
  4. List of Tidal Power Plants and Future Tidal Stations- Facing Difficult Times
  5. Is Algae Based Biofuel a Great Green Investment Opportunity
  6. Advantages of Solar Energy – Declining Cost the Biggest One

Tidal Waver Energy is still an immature technology with most of the plants built around the world being pilot/demonstration ones.However Tidal Wave Energy holds big potential though it is still a decade away from reaching large commercial scale just like Algae based Biofuel and other forms of Green Technology.Tidal Wave Energy essentially works by converting the energy generated by tidal waves into electricity energy.Tidal Generators are  used to convert energy from tidal energy into a more useful form.Here are the following ways Tidal Generators are involved in producing Tidal Power.

Tidal Barrages

A Tidal Barrage or Tidal Power Station works using the same principles that is used in production of the mainstream hydro powered electricity.In this form of Tidal Power,a Barrage is built near the coast where water is collected during the periods of high tides.During low tide the barrage allows the water from the reservoir to move towards the ocean or sea.The potential energy of the water at a higher level is converted to electricity using Turbines.However this form of Tidal Waver Energy requires a large capital investment and takes a long time to build.Gujarat and UK are in the process of building a Tidal Wave Power Station using this form of Technology.However UK seems to have shelved it citing high costs.The biggest plant in the world in France however shows that the costs of electricity generated are extremely low at 1.5c/KwH.

Tidal Wave Energy is much more predictable than wind and solar energy and like these forms of renweble energy does not lead to pollution,global warming and does not require fossil fuels.Tidal Waver Energy however suffers from the fact that it can be only be built in specific areas which have high tides and ability to build barrages.Note DOE estimates that their are only 40 sites in the world which are capable of building tidal barrages to generate tidal power.

Tidal Turbines

Tidal turbines are a newer form of Tidal Wave Technology that are supposed to generate electricity on the same principles like Wind Turbines.Tidal Turbines are arranged in rows underwater where their are favorable wave current.The Tidal Generators then generate electricity when their blades are rotating.This energy is then transported to the mainland using massive cables to be ultimately transport to the main power grid.A number of private companies like Ocean Power Technologies are pioneering this form of Tidal Wave Technology.Note most of the research on this form of Tidal Technology are taking place in Europe with almost 100 private companies involved.

Summary

Tidal Wave Energy is still in its baby phase with the technology not developed far enough to make it a real alternative to fossil fuel energy.However like solar and wind power 20-30 years ago,Tidal Wave Energy can still develop to become a major form of alternative energy.There is already a lot of interest in Tidal Power and a number of companies are doing research.However Tidal Energy needs to increase its pace of development otherwise other dominant renewable energy sources may stultify it like geothermal energy.

Global Investments in the Green Industry have increased by a whopping 39% y/y to $243 billion in 2010 despite failure of the Copenhagen Meet.The boost to Green Investments was mainly provided by China which overtook US to boost investment in Wind Energy and other Green Sectors to a massive $51 billion in 2010.According to Bloomberg,investments in Solar Energy increased to $60 Billion while other sectors like Smart Grid,Green Vehicles,BioFuels etc accounted for the rest.The main contributors to the Green Investments were Wind Energy and Solar Energy.Solar grew by more than 100% in 2010 in volume terms while the decline in Wind Energy Investments in 2010 in the West was made up by a terrific pick up in investments in China.

Asset Financing for utility grade projects accounted for $128 billion while a substantial amount was also raised for Green IPOs notably Enel Green Power,Goldwind,Datang,Longyuan etc.The figure does not include M&A figures not that there were any big bang acquisitions though a number of M&A activities took place in the Smart Grid space.Government individually ramped up the subsidies for Green Industries despite a failure to arrive at a meaningful global agreement to reduce carbon emissions in the Copenhagen Meet.Most of the investments tool place as countries increasingly jockey for the top spot in the emerging Green Industry.Conglomerates like Samsung,GE,Mitsubishi,Siemens have made Green Industry the focus of their management focus and investment leading to the astounding 39% growth.Note Green Advocates have said that $500 billion in annual investments will be required by 2020 to restrict carbon emissions to a tolerable level.

Low-Carbon Energy Investment Hit a Record $243 Billion in 2010, BNEF Says

Global investment in low-carbon energy surged to a record $243 billion last year, boosted by a 30 percent spending increase in China and a burst in small-scale solar-power installations.

The figure eclipses the $186.5 billion spent in 2009 and is more than double the level in 2005, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said today in a statement. The investment came even as clean energy shares had a “lackluster performance” last year, the London-based research company said.

Asset financing for utility-scale projects such as wind farms, solar parks and biofuel plants expanded 19 percent last year to $127.8 billion, more than half of expenditure, New Energy Finance said. Enel Green Power SpA’s initial share sale led $17.4 billion of investments from the public markets, while small-scale projects including rooftop solar panels surged 91 percent to $59.6 billion.

Renewable Energy has faced a very bad year in 2010 at least in terms of stock prices.The failure of the Copenhagen Climate Meet in 2009 and the complete indifference towards the Cancun Meet in Mexico has made the Green Energy Sector one of the worst performing ones.Wind Energy has been the worst hit with falling gas prices and  falling subsidies with USA and Europe the worst hit.Other sectors like Solar Energy and Biofuels have not got much love from the markets either.In fact major financial insitutions have sharply reduced their Renewable Energy Holdings with Short Interest Rising to a Record High amongst Green Companies like American Semiconductor,Jinko Solar etc.However despite the ascendancy of the Republicans in USA and the cold shoulder given to climate and energy bill,this might mark a bottom for Renewable Energy

Hedge Funds Short Clean Energy as Goldman Pares Stakes

Hedge funds increased short selling in U.S. renewable energy stocks to the highest level in a year, boosting bets against First Solar Inc. and Tesla Motors Inc. as government support for low-polluting technologies faltered.

President Barack Obama said he may be unable to reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions after Republicans regained control of the House in Nov. 2 elections. Republicans say they will seek to roll back Environmental Protection Agency rules limiting carbon venting, ease curbs on coal mining and may try to block billions of dollars in federal subsidies for clean power.

China is planning to invest $1.5 Trillion Dollars in the next 5 years in  7 New Sectors to structurally change its economy and give it a new direction.4 out of the 7 Sectors relate to the Green Economy namely Renewable Energy,Energy Efficiency,Green Vehicles and Advanced Materials.Note China has become a leader in the Clean Technology Industry which has been acknoledged by both Business and Consultancies in the West.China will account for almost 50% of the Global Demand for Wind Energy from almost zero 5 years ago.It is also preparing itself to be a Leader in Hybrid/Electric Vehicles while Chinese Solar Firms produced 60% of the world’s solar panels.With a Trillion Dollars,China could easily resurrect the Global Renewable Energy Industry on its own while further outdistancing itself by a huge margin from other competitors.

China mulls $1.5 trillion strategic industries boost: sources

China is considering investments of up to $1.5 trillion over five years in seven strategic industries, sources said, a plan aimed at accelerating the country’s transition from the world’s supplier of cheap goods to a leading purveyor of high-value technologies.

The targeted sectors include alternative energy, biotechnology, new-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, advanced materials, alternative-fuel cars and energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies.