Marine Energy: Comparison of Tidal and Wave Energy

Abstract

Marine energy is one of the forms of renewable energy that is one of the most widely available sources of energy; the oceans cover around 71% of the earth's surface, which means that there can be huge potential in energy. The majority of the technologies that are used to harvest marine energy are still in their developmental stages. Marine energy includes tidal energy, wave energy, osmotic energy, ocean thermal energy, and ocean current energy. Researchers all across the world, as well as people developing industries, are paying attention to the potentially lucrative field of marine energy. Since more than half of the US population lives within 50 miles of the coast, marine energy resources are spread out and in a good place to power cities. These resources are prospective contributors to a reliable, steady sustainable energy infrastructure because they are also quite predictable. This article provides an overview of the current state of the art in marine energy and explores tidal and wave energy in detail including the benefits and limitations of both.