Since the 1800s, the world has relied on the same delivery systems of fuel for power and energy. These sources include natural resources such as coal, oil, natural gas, and petroleum. It is now widely recognized that fossil fuels may not be suitable or sufficient enough to keep up with the increasing population and demands of electrical energy. As electricity requirements are increasing at alarming rates, power demand is running ahead of our supply and we must take action. .
Thirty years ago, it was hard to imagine that there could be any other source of energy that could efficiently supply power. Today, technological advancements are opening many doors in the energy field that are likely to change the way we think about energy. For example, who would have thought that the tides and waves in our oceans could be used to power millions of homes or companies around the world.
According to the EPRI, Ocean Energy Web page, "Ocean energy is a term used to describe all forms of renewable energy derived from the sea including wave energy, tidal energy, river current, ocean current energy, offshore wind, salinity gradient energy and ocean thermal gradient energy" (Jacobson). Tidal power (energy) is a form of hydropower that converts the kinetic and potential energy of tides into electricity and other useful forms of power. .
This form of energy and power is the result of tides, which are the moon and the sun's gravitational influence on the ocean. The height differences between these high and low tides create tidal currents that are powerful enough to drive machinery to provide power. The power of these tides and the resultant power is dependant on the changing positions of the moon and sun relative to the earth. Because of the tides are due to the gravitational interaction with the moon and sun and the Earth's rotation, tidal power is practically infinite and classified as a renewable energy resource.