The Tide is Turning: How Tidal Energy is Powering the Future

Renewable energy has incredible and untapped potential. Even with Solar and Wind being attacked by political forces, Solar has outpaced oil expansion in recent years by a significant margin. Residential and commercial installations have been installed at a breakneck speed, and create real, viable benefits for consumers and the utility industries.

Some renewable sources have faced more barriers than others. In the case of Nuclear, political forces and unfortunate accidents have created setbacks that caused slow progress and adoption to plague the industry for decades. Ongoing struggles and concerns about facilities have caused backlash and serious legal fights to ensue.

One other type of renewable energy that deserves to be part of these conversations and has incredible potential to substantially increase our energy independence is Tidal energy.

While some opponents of this discuss barriers like saltwater corrosion, challenges with locations and accessibility, costs to install, and market adaptability, these concerns have been faced and overcome by many projects, leading to incredible profits and mass public benefits.

Here in this post, we discuss some of the most successful projects and their capacities for inciting change. Tidal energy is identified as one of the topmost underutilized forms of renewable energy that the earth has to offer. With a constant ebb and flow of tides, potential energy lies in wait for us to take advantage of.

Why Tidal Energy is Slow on the Uptake; but Still has Immense Potential!

I. Introduction

• Brief overview of the global need for more accessible renewable energy.

  Many of the most important advancements come after painstaking progress. While Oil is like the radio, renewable energy is like the television. We are learning to apply old technologies to new industries and are making significant steps and progress towards a sustainable future where people have the power they need to succeed.

Renewable Energy is the future, much like the TV was the inevitable future of the radio. It may still be around, but one is clearly better than the other. -Infographic by ChatGPT

• Despite high upfront costs and technical challenges, tidal energy offers reliable, scalable, and increasingly innovative solutions for sustainable power—especially when integrated with other systems.

  
  

II. The World's 5 Largest Tidal Energy Projects

1. Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station – South Korea

   • Capacity: 254 MW (world’s largest)

   • Operational since: 2011

   • Built into a seawall; uses existing infrastructure for lower impact

     
     

2. La Rance Tidal Power Station – France

   • Capacity: 240 MW

   • Operational since: 1966

   • Longest running tidal power plant; proof of long-term viability

     
     

3. MeyGen Tidal Array – Scotland (Pentland Firth)

   • Current capacity: ~6 MW, expandable to 398 MW

   • Innovative underwater turbines

   • Private-public investment partnership

     
     

4. Jiangxia Tidal Power Station – China

   • Capacity: 3.2 MW

   • Small but longstanding (since 1980); includes research station

     
     

5. Nova Innovation – Shetland Islands, Scotland

   • World’s first tidal array directly powering a local grid

   • Emphasizes modular, scalable, seabed-mounted turbine tech

Tidal Energy Projects around the World - Infographic by ChatGPT

III. Tidal Energy in the United States

• Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project – New York

  • First federally licensed tidal power project in the U.S.

  • Small-scale, grid-connected turbines in East River

  • Developer: Verdant Power

    
    

• Pacific Marine Energy Center – Oregon & Washington (Testing Sites)

  • Research and development of multiple renewable and tidal based energy projects

  • Developed off the coast of Washington

  • Scalable based on project phasing and implementation

  • Potentially applicable to other areas of the coast in United States Waters

Limitations currently exist due to policy regression and poor administrative management. Through advancing funding for innovation and environmental causes, the future of energy development would be realized quickly, but with poor policies and backwards movement and continued reliance on old technologies, we have slowed progress. The goal of many renewable energies isn't to be a permanent solution, but a steppingstone on the way to a sustainable future that uses many sources of energy and does not consume unnecessary resources.

IV. U.S. Legislative Support and Policy

• DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO)

  • Supports research, demo projects, and tech innovation - though restricted by the trump admin

  • Funding for marine energy testing centers

  • Trumps finger-pointing policies have removed funding from projects like these, and increase dependence on oil, but the development of renewable energy projects, though delayed, continues despite poor executive language.

    
    

• FERC Licensing Streamlining (e.g. Verdant Power)

  • Pilot project licenses for tidal energy now faster and more accessible

  • Opportunities to streamline future projects by serving as a model

  • Scalable solutions overcome barriers that have others stuck

    
    

• Inflation Reduction Act (2022)

  • Expands tax credits to include marine/tidal energy technologies

  • Encourages private sector adoption and innovation

  • Bidens real and strategic policy development of energy independence and renewable energy production has been labeled as a scam by trump (what hasn't?) but the premise of reducing inflation worked and created economic prosperity towards the end of Biden's term.

  
  

• (Previously) the Green New Deal (2022) - (Combatting Misinformation)

  
  

  Why Trump Opposes It (*Beyond the Talking Points and "fake news" he constantly complains about)

  1. His Personal Ties to Fossil Fuel Industry

     Trump has deep political and financial ties to fossil fuel donors and interests. His energy agenda is explicitly about "dominance" through oil and gas.
     

  2. Regulatory Rollbacks

     His administration dismantled over 100 environmental rules—gutting the Clean Power Plan, reducing methane regulation, opening Arctic lands to drilling, and more. These benefit fossil fuel corporations in the short term, but increase climate risks, damage communities, and left the working class out of any tangible positive growth.
     

  3. Culture War Strategy

     Trump uses the GND as a symbolic target to energize his base. By framing environmental action as elitist or anti-American, he taps into a grievance-driven identity politics. This emotional manipulation technique is a way for him to retain power without actually "doing" anything other than complaining about something that had good potential to lift the United States up and establish the country as a leader in innovation again.
     

  ✅ What the Green New Deal Actually Proposes

  • 100% clean, renewable, zero-emission energy by 2030-2050 - Great for innovation and Job creation
    

  • Upgraded infrastructure and public transit Fantastic for improving public access and stimulating economic growth
    

  • Job guarantees for displaced fossil fuel workers Created a dedicated pathway for increasing education
    

  • Support for frontline communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change Established intentional and helpful policies that worked with communities particularly exposed to disasters and climate concerns. Lead the way to restoring and building communities from a strong footing.
    

  • Massive investment in technology, housing retrofits, and energy efficiency

    Before trump baselessly eroded the framework and funding of this progressive policy it aimed to create a pathway to establish renewable energy as a main draw for the United States. This energy independence also included housing benefits and real tangible positive impacts on community development efforts to help the poor and working class get out of poverty and earn a living wage.

V. Project Status and Timelines

• Sihwa: Fully operational

• La Rance: Operational for decades; maintenance updates only

• MeyGen: Scaling to next phases by 2030

• RITE Project (U.S.): Turbines deployed in 2020; seeking expansion

• Nova Innovation: Deploying new modular turbines; long-term grid integration plan

These projects advance on different timelines due to policy and scalability differences. It is often easier to develop smaller projects as case studies that can result in proof of concept prior to securing large investments for grand scale innovations. While this is a small barrier and represents a time delay, the overall goal remains viable and purposeful across borders and throughout the world. Tidal power and renewable innovations are creating abundant opportunities for investors and innovators alike despite the rhetoric deployed by fearmongering administrations.

VI. Cost and Economic Outlook

• Current Costs:

  • $0.20–$0.40 per kWh (compared to ~$0.03–$0.06 for solar/wind)

  • High upfront installation & maintenance in marine environments

• Projected Value Over Time:

  • Long turbine lifespans (25–40 years)

  • Predictable and consistent generation (unlike solar/wind)

  • Low operational costs post-installation

  • No fuel cost, zero emissions, stable input source

In this chart published here: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/levelized-cost-of-energy

you can see the cost for renewable sources have been steadily declining for decades.

When compared to the costs of oil and gas (approximately $0.05 low - $0.2 high cost per kWh), it is clear that the trend line leading downwards and to comparable levels for renewables makes more sense as a potential investment than the steady cost of oil over time. When the added consideration of the pollution and non-renewable aspect of oil comes into play, it is clearly evident that renewable sources provide more value and a longer usable lifespan than oil infrastructure does.

Tidal power is no different, although it is not explicitly included on this table, it is nonetheless a viable alternative for people and urban areas that are close to the coastline.

VII. Why Some Locations Are Better Than Others

• Factors:

  • Strong tidal range or fast tidal currents

  • Shallow coastal waters for infrastructure

  • Proximity to grid connection or industrial demand

    
    

• Best Global Zones:

  • UK (Pentland Firth), Canada (Bay of Fundy), France, South Korea

  • Places with abundant coastlines and deep or strong currents make for ideal locations for tidal energy development on large scales, but micro-scale installations may also be viable.

    
    

VIII. Overcoming Site Limitations with New Tech

• Tidal Stream Turbines: Work in deeper, faster-moving currents (e.g. MeyGen)

Deep water innovations that use wind turbine-like structures to capture the energy of open ocean currents. These turbines are expensive to manufacture, to install, and to maintain because of the intense conditions under which they operate. Highly corrosive saltwater and deep water makes for challenging circumstances, but vast potential.

• Floating Tidal Platforms: Allow placement in non-shallow waters (e.g. Orbital Marine Power)

Shallow or deep-water platforms anchored in such a way that the upward and downward movement of waves creates energy from the power of physics and buoyancy. Although easier to manufacture, maintain, and operate, these often produce less energy because of scalability limitations.

• Modular Micro-turbines: Easy to deploy in metro-adjacent areas (e.g. Verdant’s East River system)

Micro-hydroelectric turbines that can use shallow and fast-moving water to create substantial energy. While these offer a balance of cost and efficiency, these microturbines often end up producing smaller quantities of energy and so the cost per kilowatt hour ends up being higher.

Innovations and site limitations represent some of the biggest areas for study advancement and investments that may pay off in significant ways. By locating the best regions and areas for these types of renewable energies, more possibilities will be made known. With even small innovations in the technologies that promote access and reduce costs, these projects will become much more abundant.

Conceptual visuals and ideation:

IX. Integrated/Interdisciplinary Projects

• Tidal + Desalination (Theoretical & Experimental)

  • Ideal pair: consistent tidal flow + energy-intensive desalination

  • No major commercial-scale projects yet

  • Main barrier: cost, complexity of co-locating infrastructure

  • Represents a significant opportunity for both industry and personal investment

    
    

• Tidal + Hydrogen Production

  • Pilot studies in Scotland & France testing seawater electrolysis powered by tidal energy

  • Hydrogen stored or used locally in fuel cells

  • Creates transportable sources of fuels that can be deployed to remote places with ease

  • Saudi Arabia is also working on developing hydrogen plants near its mega-construction project called NEOM or The Line in the northwestern portion of the country near the straight of Tehran. This project aims to be one of the biggest sustainability projects on earth.

    
    

• Tidal + Remote Industry

  • Potential for on-site power at fish farms, ports, or cold-storage depots

  • Ongoing research by ORPC (Ocean Renewable Power Company)

  • Battery charging stations for mega-scale batteries which can then be transported or utilized as backups for the grid are possible.

    
    

X. Challenges

• High capital investment

• Difficult installation/maintenance in marine environments

• Environmental concerns (fish/turbine interaction, sediment disruption)

• Limited number of ideal geographic sites

• Regulatory and permitting complexity in many regions

Challenges come in many forms beyond this short list. There are costs, timelines, policies, administrative barriers, environmental issues lobbyists, location issues, biological or ecological concerns, manufacturing and innovation hangups, scalability problems, engineering problems, natural disasters, and many more factors which come into play. Overall, these barriers slow the process down, but when considering the difference between the past computers, and those we have now, the difference is night and day. Once these barriers are overcome, the potential for sustainable and renewable energy is great! All of this is to say, though, that the impacts are not zero.

What is most important is the organized transition and the calculated development of these projects to avoid as many mistakes as possible. Without understanding out mistakes progress becomes a slow and steady cycle of repeating the past.

XI. Opportunities

• Co-develop with infrastructure (bridges, ports, seawalls)

• Local microgrids for remote or island communities

• Partnering with industrial users for direct supply

• Technological innovation reducing cost and increasing lifespan

• Tidal predictability makes it ideal for baseload supply complementing solar/wind

Opportunities abound. With the development of investment opportunities, new companies and businesses, and the integrations of new and old technology, we can create interdisciplinary systems that mutually combine to create something great. With forethought and planning, the potential we have to gain is almost limitless. Afterall, the coastline is diverse and in a constant state of change. instead of undersea mining and ecological destruction, we have the potential to create smaller impacts but reap the benefits for decades. It's truly about progress more than anything else.

XII. Why This is the Future

• Oil’s Long-Term Limited Viability:

  • Finite resource with volatile pricing - Political pressures across international lines and tension

  • Climate liability and environmental risks - ecological damages that last for decades - toxic leftovers and wastelands can be left without plans for rehabilitation

  • No price floor for cleanup and remediation - a lack of accountability or intentionality

Renewable energy is the future for so many reasons that it is hard to list them all here. Not only do these types of projects increase the locality and efficiency and accessibility of power, but they also decrease reliance on outside influences. With localized and powerful renewable energy generation, the potential for self-reliance and community expansion becomes a vast and unimaginable benefit to many communities around the world. I always say "with limitless energy comes everything else"

If we had infinite energy to use at an extremely cheap cost, we could build more, house more people, increase the speed of innovation, develop larger projects, and stimulate bigger industries. Imagine if treating water, or growing crops wasn't predicated on the energy cost, but instead was made more efficient and accessible through the implementation of a renewable resource that costs far less than the current model? We could clean more, faster, and grow more, faster if energy costs weren't such a heavy consideration.

• Tidal in Tandem:

  • Complements solar and wind (generates at different times)

  • Stable and forecastable

  • Low emissions and minimal land use

  • Suitable for integrated energy strategies, especially in coastal cities

    
    

Tidal power could theoretically power coastal cities all over the world. If tidal power were integrated with desalination, we could revolutionize water policy in the United States and elsewhere around the world with ease. The biggest obstacles to sustainability would be the people, just like trump is right now. If independent energy production and availability was made possible for countries all around the world, populations would be more capable of building and manufacturing more without reliance on expensive oil or its infrastructure. While this is a vision and obviously requires more forethought and infrastructure to accomplish, it can be summarized by the idea of "beginning with the end in mind"

XIII. Conclusion

• Tidal energy is no longer theoretical—it’s working today - and has proven effectiveness for the future given that tides are predictable and permanent features of our environment.

• While upfront costs are a barrier, the long-term value is unmatched for certain regions

• With legislative support, tech innovation, and strategic co-use, tidal is becoming a critical player in the renewable energy transition

Integrating renewable energies and the relevant technology into the world is the future. By diversifying our consumption and creating more opportunities for innovations and advancements, we can move past the "radio" of oil and get working on the "television" of renewable energy. After that, we can start making even more progress and really get the flow of sustainability moving.